Syrian rebels release missing US missionary from prison

Video on social media had sparked hopes that he was journalist Austin Tice

A screengrab from a video showing the US citizen, who gave his name as Travis, in Al Dhiyabiyah, Syria. Photo: Shaam

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An American man released from a Syrian detention centre by rebels told The National on Thursday that his time in prison was “of solace and meditation”, but that there were no other US citizens jailed with him.

The man is believed to be Travis Timmerman, 29, a missionary from Missouri. He told The National his name was “just Travis for now” and that he was “feeling OK”. He was unwilling to provide his family name. Some had mistaken him for Austin Tice, a freelance journalist who disappeared while reporting in Syria in August 2012.

The man said he came from near Kansas City and travelled to Lebanon as a missionary. He had made his way from Lebanon's Bekaa Valley to the Syrian border on foot and “ended up living in the mountains for three days and three nights”, he said. It was not clear when he was detained by Syrian security services.

The US embassy in Lebanon told The National it was following up on the case of a man named Travis Timmerman who was a Christian pilgrim from Missouri. Kayle Owens, who said she was a family friend of Mr Timmerman, posted on Facebook in June that he had gone missing and was last seen at the International Baptist Church in Budapest at the end of May.

In that post she said: "We're desperate for any help or resources that could lead to his whereabouts." She told The National she was thrilled by the news that the American found in Syria is probably Mr Timmerman.

"It truly is a Christmas miracle," Ms Owens said. "We are overjoyed to hear that he has been found. He has an incredible testimony to share when he’s ready. We’ve been praying tirelessly for his safe return, and those prayers have been answered."

The man, who said he was released on Monday and then wandered the streets of Damascus, appears to be one of thousands of people freed from Syrian detention centres since rebels overthrew the dictator Bashar Al Assad at the weekend after a flash offensive. He was found by residents walking barefoot in the orchards of a suburb just south of Damascus.

The man first appeared in videos circulating online in which locals said they had found him in Al Dhiyabiyah, about 15km south of the capital. The man described his detention as “a time of solace and meditation” and said he was primarily held alone.

A video posted to Facebook showed a man asleep on a mattress on the floor, covered in a red blanket and surrounded by residents who claimed to have found him. The footage showed him waking and appearing unaware of his surroundings.

The man told The National that he “didn't immediately know what was going on” when rebels broke down the doors of his cell. Residents said they believed he had been detained by the Iran-backed militia Hezbollah in the town of Al Sayyeda Zeinab, south of Damascus.

While The National and other media spoke to the man, officers and bureaucrats from the Syrian Salvation Government – the transitional body that took over after the fall of Mr Al Assad – arrived to take him away, accompanied by a representative of the Syrian Emergency Task Force.

“We took him to a safe location, away from media,” said Mohammad Sadek, a member of the SSG’s political affairs administration. “He is in touch with the US embassy. Soon, we will transfer him to a hotel so he can rest properly.” The SSG later announced that “the American … Travis Timmerman has been freed and secured.

"We confirm our readiness to co-operate directly with the US administration to search for American citizens disappeared by the former Assad regime,” it added.

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said efforts to take the man home were under way. “I can't give you any details on exactly what's going to happen, except to say that we're working to bring him home, to bring him out of Syria and to bring him home, but for privacy reasons, I can't share any more,” he said.

The American journalist Mr Tice was last seen at a checkpoint in Darayya, a suburb of Damascus, on August 13, 2012, two days after his 31st birthday. In September of that year, a 47-second video was released showing him blindfolded and surrounded by armed men. He could be heard saying “Jesus” and reciting a prayer in Arabic.

He has not been heard from since, and his whereabouts remain unknown. His family have long campaigned for his release and hold frequent meetings with US officials.

In August 2022, the US said it knew with “certainty” that Mr Tice, who had been covering the Syrian civil war, was being held by the regime. Authorities in Damascus had denied holding Mr Tice, a former US Marine Corps captain. Members of Mr Tice's family met US State Department officials on Thursday last week, and held talks at the White House with National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan the following day.

Willy Lowry contributed to this report from Washington