US-based NGO believes missing US journalist ‘alive’ in Syria
Austin Tice disappeared more than 12 years ago. However, following the collapse of the Assad regime, there is renewed hope to find Tice alive.
Dec. 24, 2024
ERBIL (Kurdistan24) - According to a report by Agence Franc-Presse (AFP), a US-based NGO stated that it believed the missing American Journalist Austin Tice is still alive.
US-based Hostage Aid Worldwide provided updates on the fate of Austin Tice and other foreigners missing in Syria in a press conference in Damascus. However, the NGO did not offer concrete information on Austin Tice’s whereabouts.
“We have data that Austin is alive till January 2024, but the president of the US said in August that he is alive, and we are sure that he is alive today,” Hostage Aid Worldwide's Nizar Zakka said.
Regarding the announcement, AFP cited Zakka saying that the NGO is “trying to be as transparent as possible and to share as much information as possible.”
Earlier, Zakka showed an image during a press conference in Damascus that indicated the location where Tice had been held from November 2017 to February 2024.
The NGO confirmed continued cooperation with Tice’s family and the US authorities to enhance efforts to discover the fate of the US journalist.
Austin Tice, 43, disappeared more than 12 years ago. The former Syrian authorities never publicly confirmed that they had Tice in custody which increased doubts over his fate. However, following the collapse of the Assad regime, there is renewed hope to find Tice alive.
