Russian President Vladimir Putin has promised to ask former Syrian President Bashar al-Assad for help in locating American journalist Austin Tice, who has been missing since 2012. Tice’s mother, Debra, had written a letter to Putin appealing for assistance in finding her son.
In a press conference, Putin stated that he would speak with Assad, but seemed to cast doubt on the former president’s ability to help. “We are adults, we understand – 12 years ago, a person went missing in Syria, 12 years ago. We understand what the situation was and 12 years ago acts of hostilities were ongoing from both sides. Does President Assad himself know what happened to that U.S. citizen, a journalist who performed his journalistic duty in a combat area?” Putin asked.
Tice was abducted while reporting on the Syrian civil war and the Syrian government has refused to negotiate his release for over a decade. Debra Tice wrote to Putin, appealing for his help in finding her son, citing his connections with the Syrian government.
The State Department has also stepped up its efforts to find Tice, offering a $10 million reward for information relating to his release. Secretary of State Antony Blinken stated that the State Department is working with every possible source and actor in Syria to locate Tice, and is considering sending officials to the country to aid in the search.