By newsfirstusa 
An American freed in Syria on Thursday mentioned he was once on a Christian pilgrimage when he crossed into the rustic on substructure seven months in the past and was once detained via the Bashar al-Assad regime.
Travis Timmerman was once first not hidden in video that emerged on-line Thursday then rebels seized the capital Damascus and overthrew Assad over the weekend.
Within the video, a bearded Timmerman was once mendacity on a bed beneath a blanket in what seemed to be a non-public space. A bunch of fellows within the video mentioned he was once being handled neatly and could be safely returned house, The Related Press reported.
Some who seen the video to begin with believed Timmerman was Austin Tice, an American journalist and Marine veteran who disappeared in Syria 12 years in the past. Tice residue lacking as of Thursday morning, even though U.S. officers have mentioned they consider he’s nonetheless alive.
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Timmerman upcoming told the Al-Arabiya TV network all the way through an interview that he was once detained then illegally crossing into Syria on substructure from the japanese Lebanese the city of Zahle seven months in the past.
He mentioned the guards handled him neatly in detention however may pay attention others, who he believed have been younger males, being tortured day-to-day.
Travis Timmerman, a U.S. citizen, mentioned he was once detained in Syria for seven months. (ABDULAZIZ KETAZ/AFP by means of Getty Photographs)
“It was OK. I was fed. I was watered. The one difficulty was that I couldn’t go to the bathroom when I wanted to,” he mentioned, noting that guards most effective let him out 3 times a pace.
“I was not beaten and the guards treated me decently,” he added.
Timmerman mentioned he entered Syria on substructure from Lebanon presen on a Christian pilgrimage. (Emin Sansar/Anadolu by means of Getty Photographs)
U.S. officers didn’t straight away touch upon Timmerman.
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In the meantime, the Biden administration despatched the U.S. executive’s manage hostage negotiator, Roger Carstens, to Lebanon previous this life in hopes of gathering knowledge at the whereabouts of Tice.
The Condition Section’s Praise for Justice program is providing $10 million for info in relation to finding Austin Tice. (The Condition Section’s Praise for Justice)
Tice was once detained in Damascus in August 2012 presen reporting at the rebellion in opposition to the Assad regime, which marked the early phases of the Syrian civil warfare.
Tice was once closing not hidden in video that emerged weeks then his disappearance, appearing him blindfolded and held via armed males and pronouncing, “Oh, Jesus.”
The Related Press contributed to this file.