The parents of a missing American journalist are confident that their son is alive.
Marc Tice and Debra Tice, parents of the journalist, are on their eighth trip to Beirut, Lebanon, working to secure their son’s release.
“Because Austin is American and because he is detained in Syria, we urge both the United States government and the Syrian government to work together to resolve this humanitarian effort,” appealed Marc Tice in a press conference on Tuesday, Dec. 4.
According to Reuters, Austin Tice was detained in August 2012. He was 31 at that time, reporting in Damascus on the uprising against Syrian President Bashar al-Assad.
“Austin did not disappear into thin air. He was detained at a checkpoint, there must have been witnesses. Through these long years we have periodically been told by reliable sources that Austin is alive and being properly cared for,” said Debra Tice.
The parents feel more hopeful with Trump’s administration.
“That’s one of the continuous requests that we make of the United States government, that they make direct contact with their peers in the Syrian government. And that never occurred during the Obama administration. We are very encouraged under this new administration,” said Marc Tice.
A reward of $1 million is offered by the FBI for information that leads to Austin’s safe return.
