 "Curious case of Travis Timmerman: American citizen found in Syrian prison")
A man from the United States, identified as Travis Timmerman, 29, was discovered wandering barefoot in a suburb south of Damascus, Syria, on Thursday, days after being freed from a Syrian prison amid the power vacuum created by the overthrow of Bashar al-Assad’s regime.
Timmerman’s discovery came as a shock to the public, as the man had been last cited in Budapest, according to a missing person’s bulletin posted by Hungarian authorities in August and no one had seemingly been aware of his travels to Syria.
Who is Travis Timmerman?
Timmerman’s family described him as a writer and spiritual seeker. After graduating from Missouri State University in 2017 and briefly practicing law in Chicago, he returned to Urbana, Missouri, to focus on his writing and faith.
His mother, Stacey Gardiner, told US’ National Public Radio that Timmerman had travelled to Hungary and Prague before communication with the family ceased in June. Hungarian authorities issued a missing persons bulletin in August after he was last seen at a church in Budapest. Timmerman’s detention reportedly began when Syrian officials found him near the Lebanese border, stranded without food or water for three days.
Detained for 7 months in Syrian prison
Timmerman, a Missouri native, told CBS News he had been detained seven months ago for entering Syria without permission during a pilgrimage for Christian spiritual purposes. He was released earlier this week after armed rebels broke into the prison where he had been held.
“My door was busted down, it woke me up,” Timmerman told the news network. “Once we got out, there was no resistance, no real fighting.”
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Timmerman said his experience in the prison was not harsh, though restrictions on bathroom access were difficult to endure.
Were US officials aware of his incarceration?
According to the CBS News, US officials had previously been alerted to Timmerman’s presence near Damascus and had been coordinating with local and international parties to facilitate his safe return. It is unclear whether they knew of his incarceration or any other details of his whereabouts.
On Thursday, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken, speaking from Aqaba, Jordan, confirmed that efforts were underway to assist Timmerman and bring him home.
“For privacy reasons, I can't share any more detail than that at this point,” Blinken said.
Confusion with missing journalist Austin Tice
Interestingly, a video of Timmerman had surfaced on social media, briefly raising speculation that he might be Austin Tice, a journalist who disappeared near Damascus in 2012, a report by Forbes pointed out.
However, senior Biden administration officials clarified that while efforts to locate Tice continue, there is no new verifiable information about his whereabouts.
Fall of Assad’s regime in Syria
Timmerman’s release coincides with significant upheaval in Syria following the fall of Bashar al-Assad’s regime. Rebel forces, who toppled the government in a sudden offensive, have taken control of Damascus and freed numerous detainees.
The power shift has created uncertainty in the region, with neighbouring countries and international actors closely monitoring developments, including the fate of detained individuals and the rise of Islamist factions in post-Assad Syria.
Meanwhile, Timmerman is reportedly in good health and making his way to safety with the assistance of US officials. Further details about his return home are expected in the coming days.