Syrian government releases U.S. citizen -State Department

The U.S. State Department on Friday welcomed the release of an American citizen held by Syrian authorities and said it was working to get more information on another who went missing there in 2012. 
 
State Department spokesman John Kirby announced the release in a statement without identifying the individual.
  
The Washington Post, citing two U.S. officials, reported earlier Friday that Syria's government had released Kevin Dawes, who was abducted after traveling to the civil war-ravaged nation in 2012.
 
Dawes, described by the newspaper as a freelance photographer, was recently allowed to call family and receive care packages, signaling to officials that the Syrian government was moving toward his release, the Post reported. 
 
The newspaper said Dawes' release was seen as a positive sign for American reporter Austin Tice, who also went missing in Syria in 2012.
  
The State Department is continuing to work through Czech officials in Syria to get information on Tice as well as on other U.S. citizens missing in Syria.
 
Tice's family declined to comment. 

 

Russia played a role in the release of the U.S. citizen and the United States had "periodic contact" with the Syrian government, the U.S. State Department said on Friday.
 
"We are appreciative of efforts on the part of the Russian government that it undertook on behalf of this U.S. citizen in Syria," State Department spokesman Mark Toner told reporters at a briefing. The American's release was reported by the department earlier on Friday. ​