U.S. Department of State

14/08/2024 | Press release | Distributed by Public on 14/08/2024 16:10

12 Years of Captivity for Austin Tice

Twelve years have passed since American journalist Austin Tice was abducted in Syria. For more than a quarter of his life, Austin has been separated from his family and kept in unknown conditions. We know the Syrian government has held Austin, and we have repeatedly offered to find a way to bring him home.

This has gone on for far too long. We call on the Syrian government to work with the United States to end Austin's captivity and to provide an accounting for the fate of other Americans who went missing in Syria. Over the past three and half years our government has secured the release of dozens of Americans held hostage or unjustly detained around the world and we continue to pursue any available path that may lead to Austin's return. Austin went to Syria to show the world the truth of what was going on there. We're not going to relent until we find a way to bring Austin's unjust detention to an end.