Syria denies allegations Austin Tice is becoming held hostage by government

Cami Mondeaux

August 17, 10:10 AM August 17, 10:10 AM

Syrian officials turned down allegations that the place is holding missing journalist Austin Tice in custody, rather placing the blame for his disappearance on the U.S. govt for allowing for its citizens to enter Syria “illegally.”

Syria’s reaction will come a week soon after President Joe Biden asserted, “We know with certainty” that Tice has been held by the Syrian authorities over the previous 10 yrs. Even so, the Syrian authorities dismissed the accusations as “invalid,” including that Tice entered the country unlawfully.

Ten Yrs Afterwards: AUSTIN TICE’S Relatives SEEKS Solutions ABOUT HIS DISAPPEARANCE

“Syria emphasizes that any official dialogue or conversation with the U.S. govt facet will only be public and dependent on the rule of respecting the sovereignty and independence and unity of the Syrian Arab Republic’s land,” the Syrian International Ministry reported in a statement. “[The U.S.] not only turned a blind eye but encouraged tens of U.S. citizens to travel to Syria and enter its lands illegally and without the need of permission from its government, by nonofficial border crossings or by sneaking into regions that are managed by terrorist armed groups.”

Tice, a freelance journalist for various U.S. information corporations, was reporting on the civil war in Syria when he was taken by unfamiliar captors on Aug. 14, 2012. A couple of months later on, a YouTube video clip was launched showing the journalist blindfolded and surrounded by his captors. The movie, also posted on the Fb website page of supporters of Syrian President Bashar al Assad, was the past time Tice was observed.

No a person has claimed obligation for Tice’s kidnapping, and it is not clear whether he’s however alive. Nonetheless, the Biden administration issued a assertion final 7 days, on the 10-year anniversary of his disappearance, calling on the Syrian government to release him.

“We know with certainty that he has been held by the Authorities of Syria. We have continuously requested the govt of Syria to function with us so that we can bring Austin home,” Biden explained in a statement. “On the tenth anniversary of his abduction, I am calling on Syria to conclude this and enable us bring him property. There is no larger precedence in my Administration than the recovery and return of People in america held hostage or wrongfully detained overseas.”

The FBI in the same way renewed endeavours to provide Tice dwelling, featuring a $1 million reward to any one who can supply details that sales opportunities to his return.

“This yr, we understand the 10-yr anniversary of the disappearance of Austin Tice, and it is time to renew our general public simply call for data that could guide to his whereabouts,” claimed FBI Director Christopher Wray. “Additionally, this week marks Austin’s 41st birthday. For 10 decades, focused FBI personnel have been functioning tirelessly to return him to his relatives. The FBI will proceed to do the job with our authorities companions to convey Austin dwelling and seek solutions for his family.”

‘Loaded up with drugs’: Trump slams attainable prisoner swap with Russia

Mike Brest

August 01, 11:01 AM August 01, 11:01 AM

Previous President Donald Trump ridiculed the prisoner swap the Biden administration is negotiating with the Kremlin in order to safe the return of two Us residents the administration considers wrongfully detained.

The Russians, for every the U.S. federal government, are wrongfully detaining WNBA celebrity Brittney Griner, even though she has pleaded responsible to drug charges, and Paul Whelan, who was sentenced to 16 several years in prison in 2020 on espionage expenses that he denies. There have been many experiences that the United States’s proposal would end result in the return of Whelan and Griner in exchange for notorious Russian arms dealer Viktor Bout, who has been accused of advertising weapons to several accused war criminals.

US Would make 'SUBSTANTIAL PROPOSAL' TO RUSSIA FOR GRINER AND WHELAN'S Launch

Trump, in a Friday interview on The Clay Travis & Buck Sexton Clearly show, spoke about Bout, whom he characterised as “absolutely one particular of the worst in the world” although also having a shot at Griner for her arrest, which happened in February, when she was located allegedly owning introduced vape cartridges into the place.

"We’re meant to get her out for an complete killer and a single of the largest arms dealers in the entire world. Killed a lot of People in america. Killed several folks. And he’s gonna get a no cost card, and we’re gonna get her," Trump claimed, conversing about Bout. "She knew you really do not go in there loaded up with medications, and she admitted it. I assume she admitted it without way too substantially drive for the reason that it is what it is, and it undoubtedly doesn’t look like a extremely good trade, does it?"

"They’re quite vigilant about medications. They do not like drugs. And she bought caught. And now, we’re intended to get her out," he stated.

Previous week, Secretary of Condition Antony Blinken unveiled that the U.S. had designed a "sizeable proposal" to the Kremlin for the swap, and he also spoke with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov. Blinken mentioned on Friday that he had "pressed" his Russian counterpart to settle for the offer when they spoke final week.

Griner's demo is ongoing. She pleaded responsible and is struggling with a 10-year jail sentence in the Russian judicial technique, which overwhelmingly finds the accused responsible. Throughout the demo, she admitted that she unintentionally introduced the cartridges and that they were prescribed to her by a medical professional.

David Whelan, Paul's brother, responded to the remarks from the previous commander in main, declaring, "This is no surprise, coming from a person who lacked the braveness to even try to safe #PaulWhelan's flexibility. American citizens should have much better. Paul misplaced yrs of his life due to the Trump Administration's incompetence/concern of Russia."

Trevor Reed, who was detained in Russia, is pushing the Biden administration to convey other individuals dwelling

Mike Brest

June 09, 11:00 PM June 09, 11:01 PM

Trevor Reed returned to the United States just after nearly a few many years wrongfully detained in a Russian prison, and in his to start with community responses, he urged the Biden administration to get the similar final result for the dozens of other People in america detained abroad.

"We need to do certainly anything we can, as People in america, to advocate for people Us residents who are remaining held illegally overseas and do each solitary point we can probable to get them out," Reed told CNN final month.

The previous Marine experienced been jailed in a Russian jail with his health deteriorating when President Joe Biden agreed to a prisoner exchange with Russia in which the U.S. gave up Konstantin Yaroshenko, a Russian pilot serving a 20-calendar year federal jail sentence in Connecticut for conspiracy to smuggle prescription drugs into the U.S. The company that negotiated for Reed's release is the Office environment of the Exclusive Presidential Envoy for Hostage Affairs, which qualified prospects the administration's endeavours to get wrongfully detained citizens home.

Whilst Reed's return was welcome news for his spouse and children and thousands and thousands of people today, the Biden administration remaining Paul Whelan, a further previous Marine who is becoming detained in Russia, driving, in addition to WNBA participant Brittney Griner. The Whelan spouse and children celebrated Reed's return but was left wondering whether it'd get to see Paul, whose detainment for allegedly staying a spy predated Reed's seize.

David Whelan, Paul’s brother, instructed the Washington Examiner at the time that he felt “elation for the family due to the fact we’re always — I feel any detainee or hostage family members is satisfied when the detainee or hostages depart,” but he added that the minute is “bittersweet” with “a small little bit of stress because it's not genuinely apparent how this will impression Paul extended expression.”

The choice didn't sit well with Reed possibly.

"I had a actually potent emotion of guilt that I was cost-free and that Paul Whelan was however in prison. I thought when I uncovered out that it was an exchange that was happening that they experienced most likely exchanged Paul Whelan, as effectively. And I envisioned him to be coming residence with me. And he — he did not," Reed mentioned in an interview on Fantastic Early morning America. "I considered that that was mistaken, that they received me out and not Paul.”

"I knew that as quickly as I was ready to, that I would battle for him to get out and that I would do every thing I could to get him out of there," he additional, choking up as he spoke.

The 30-year-old, in his media appearances, expressed his help for prisoner exchanges, which he called "the moral selection," outlining, "The Russians, the Chinese, Venezuelans, Iran, Syria, North Korea — none of them ever in their total historical past have or at any time would make an exchange for a prisoner who is just an average one particular of their citizens. They would under no circumstances do that. And that's what sets the United States apart."

"Brittney, particularly in Russia, is likely in a ton of means in a worse place than I was due to the fact Brittney is African American. You will find a huge portion of the population in Russia which is racist," Reed mentioned at a Houston rally in June of Griner, who is also lesbian. "They also have a govt that systematically discriminates from lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transsexual men and women less than Vladimir Putin. And people issues are definitely heading to make Brittney's time there a good deal a lot more tricky than if they just had taken a different American hostage."

In the times subsequent Reed's return, a handful of households who have loved types wrongfully detained overseas in nations around the world such as Iran, Venezuela, and Syria rallied outside the house the White Residence to get the administration’s interest.

The Carry Our Households Property Campaign led the rally, which experienced been prepared prior to Reed’s return, and the group seeks a conference with Biden, who experienced achieved with Reed’s moms and dads in the months ahead of they bought their son back again. A lot of of the loved ones users of these wrongfully detained abroad celebrated Reed’s return at the rally, which Joey and Taylor Reed, Trevor’s father and sister, attended, expressing it introduced them hope for their beloved ones' probable return.

This group says that there are about 60 Us citizens who are wrongfully detained abroad, but the Point out Division considers the number to be considerably decreased.

"So we never ever give out the exact range," a Point out Division formal informed the Washington Examiner. "It really is hovering probably concerning 35 and 40."

The change in figures is in part because of to the fact that nonprofit businesses never normally differentiate among "wrongfully detained" and "taken hostage," even though the State Office does have to weigh it and other aspects in generating individuals determinations, which are resolved by Deputy Secretary of State Wendy Sherman. The Office of the Particular Presidential Envoy for Hostage Affairs listens to these teams, and it has usually alerted the section to civilians in troublesome spots.

Reed's family members members selected to be loud and go general public with their case, nevertheless not each and every family does that. Some get the spotlight, these types of as Reed and Griner, although dozens do not get the same recognition, these kinds of as Mark Swidan, who has been held in China for practically a 10 years, and Airan Berry and Luke Denman, who ended up sentenced just about two many years ago to 20 a long time in prison for their alleged job in a unsuccessful seashore assault aimed at overthrowing Venezuelan chief Nicolas Maduro, according to Venezuelan prosecutors.

Swidan, a businessman from Houston, was accused of remaining a portion of a drug ring although traveling in China in 2012. His mother, Katherine, advised the Washington Examiner that she felt like "they're not executing anything in Washington" to get her son property. "They require some pressure on them," she extra, declaring she spoke with Particular Presidential Envoy for Hostage Affairs Roger Carstens final 7 days by phone.

For the Convey Our Families Property Campaign rally, Melanie Berry, Airan's spouse, traveled to Washington, D.C. Like the Whelan household, she has skilled the heart-wrenching second when hostages from the exact same state in which her liked 1 is held bought released with out him. The U.S. secured the launch of two Us citizens in March held by the Maduro federal government, although a handful was left guiding.

"I just felt so considerably joy for the households that they're coming house, that they are reunited once again," she mentioned about the launch of Gustavo Cardenas and Jorge Fernandez in March. "So, I necessarily mean, that was rather significantly it. I indicate, my coronary heart was just so entire [of] joy for them. And yeah, you will find a very little bit of disappointment because it was not Airan."

When questioned if any negotiations are heating up, the Condition Division formal stated, "We have additional than a number of active negotiations ongoing."

Secretary of State Antony Blinken's prolonged-phrase goals are to finish the coverage of "hostage diplomacy," the official mentioned, referencing the act fully commited by adversarial governments primarily to just take Individuals hostage and leverage them to get concessions from Western countries. The two officers believe that can only be attained by the Western governments collectively coming alongside one another to deal with any hostage taken as a citizen of their international locations.