Syrian regime frees US citizen missing for over 3 years

A US citizen who was held in Syria has been freed by the regime of Bashar Assad, the State Department said Friday, after a report that a missing journalist is coming home.

“We can confirm and welcome the news that a US citizen was released by Syrian authorities,” State Department spokesman John Kirby said.

Kirby would not provide more details because of US privacy laws, but the Washington Post named 33-year-old freelance photographer Kevin Dawes as the American who has been freed.

According to the Post report, Dawes was abducted in Syria in late 2012 and was recently permitted to call his family and to receive a care package.

An FBI missing persons report says Dawes traveled to Syria in September 2012 from Turkey and has not made contact since October of that year.

The United States has no diplomatic relations with Syria, believing that Assad lost legitimacy after his crackdown on opposition protests triggered a civil war.

But Washington is in close touch with Assad’s key ally Russia and has been working with other partners to try to ensure the safety of missing Americans.

“We continue to work through our Czech protecting power in Syria to get information on the welfare and whereabouts of Austin Tice and other US citizens missing and detained in Syria,” Kirby said.

“We appreciate the efforts of the Czech mission on behalf of US persons.”

Tice is another American photojournalist who has missing in Syria since August 2012.

According to the Post report, officials seeking Tice’s freedom see Dawes’ release as a positive sign.