.jpg "Missouri Man Travis Timmerman Free from Syrian Prison since Defeat of Assad $")
Missouri Man Travis Timmerman Free from Syrian Prison since Defeat of Assad $
For seven months, Syria was holding an American native who hailed from Missouri named Travis Timmerman. The freeing is announced shortly after the Syrian president Bashar Assad's overthrow, 29-year-old Mr. Timmerman reportedly went missing in June of the previous year while on a pilgrimage to Christian sites in his Christian faith.
Agonizing Journey
A graduate of Missouri State University, Timmerman disappeared traveling from Budapest, Hungary. He had reportedly crossed into Syria from the Lebanese town of Zahle in June before he was detained by Syrian authorities for alleged espionage. His mobile phone was also searched and interrogations conducted during which he spoke about his dreams with his captors.
Timmerman then described the conditions of his imprisonment: a cell with only a mattress and simple plastic containers to drink from and use for human waste. Minimal bathroom and exercise breaks were permitted, but the scene behind his captivity became even more dangerous as explosions racked the building, percolating in concert with rising clashes between the Israelis and Hezbollah in Syria.
Release Amid Political Upheaval
After years, Timmerman was finally freed when the rebel group Hayat Tahrir al-Sham led an offensive and toppled Assad's regime. The group orchestrated the release of thousands of prisoners by breaking the cell door, allowing Timmerman to walk away free. Timmerman was freed alongside a young Syrian man and 70 female prisoners, some with their children.
In an interview with Al-Arabiya TV, Timmerman thanked his liberators and said he had been treated well during detention. HTS's political affairs office confirmed involvement in Timmerman's release and expressed readiness to cooperate with U.S. authorities in the search for other missing Americans, including journalist Austin Tice, who went missing in Syria 12 years ago.
Before the identification of Timmerman, the footage, which showed him lying under a blanket on a mattress that seemed to be in some sort of private residence, emerged online. He was originally believed to be Austin Tice.
A Return Home on the Horizon
HTS officials are reportedly arranging for the departure of Timmerman from Syria, though specific details of the plans remain unclear. His family, who are based near Urbana in Missouri, have yet to comment but are likely pleased with news of his release.
Timmerman's case underlines risks that travelers continue to face in conflict zones and the sometimes Byzantine nature of international efforts to secure the release of detainees in politically unstable areas.