With Syria’s government collapsing, the family of missing journalist Austin Tice presses for action, hoping for his release 12 years after his disappearance in the war-torn country.
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Austin Tice is a journalist from Houston who has been missing in Syria for more than ten years. His family is holding on to hope that new opportunities will open up now that Bashar Assad's government has fallen. On Sunday, rebel groups in Syria took over Damascus and freed political prisoners. It's still unclear what this means for Tice's case.
Over the weekend, Tice's family got together in Washington, D.C., and met with national security officials at the White House to keep pushing for his freedom. Tice, an independent reporter who had served in the Marines, went missing in 2012 near Damascus while covering the Syrian civil war.
He was raised by Debra and Marc Tice, who were cautiously optimistic. "We've gotten verified information that Austin is still alive," Marc said, stressing the need to move immediately. His brother Jonathan said it was "a one-of-a-kind moment" and asked everyone, including the U.S. government and Syrian officials, to put Austin's safe return first.
The family has new hope after years of fighting for change with little success. Debra Tice said she was thankful that her family was all in the city at this important time.
The Tices have worked closely with government officials to keep the heat on actors on the world stage. "A lot of things are moving," Jonathan said, calling for all the help that could be given to bring Austin home.
There aren't many details yet, but the fall of Assad's government may be a rare chance to start talking. For now, the family is still waiting carefully and asking anyone to help do something.
