The family of Austin Tice, a US journalist held captive in Syria since 2012, renewed calls Wednesday for his release as a banner highlighting his case was unveiled by press freedom groups.
The #FreeAustinTice banner was attached to the facade of the Newseum, a museum focused on news media and located on the street linking the US Capitol and the White House.
"This banner will stay in front of the Newseum until Austin Tice is released," said Jeffrey Herbst, president and chief executive of the Newseum. "We hope we will take it down soon."
The location of the banner -- on the route taken by each US president upon inauguration -- provides "unprecedented visibility" for Tice, said Delphine Halgand of Reporters Without Borders, which helped create the banner.
Halgand said it was the first time a major American institution such as the Newseum has displayed a public banner on its building for a missing US journalist, a move aimed at bring greater attention to his case.
Debra Tice, the journalist's mother, told reporters at the unveiling that she hoped for the success of diplomatic efforts to release her son before President Barack Obama leaves office in January.
"We call on Austin's captors to reach out and make it clear how we can resolve this situation and get our son safely home," she said.
The banner "will remind people how precious press freedom is," she said.
She said information filtering out of Syria indicates that Tice is alive and in relatively good health, and is not being held by any rebel or Islamic militant organization.
Tice, a freelance journalist working for McClatchy News, the Washington Post, CBS and others, was abducted August 14, 2012 near Damascus.
He is believed to the only American journalist currently held in Syria, which has been one of the most dangerous countries for the news media in recent years.
Read More:
Comments About This Article
Please fill the fields below.