A man believed to be a missing US citizen has been discovered in Damascus, Syria, where he informed reporters that he had recently been released from jail. The individual, identified as Missouri resident Travis Timmerman, 29, was found by local residents walking barefoot in a neighborhood just south of Damascus.
In a video posted on Thursday, the man simply stated, “My name is Travis,” and mentioned that he hails from the United States. Timmerman was reported missing by Hungarian police back in June.
According to Timmerman, he had been held in a Syrian prison for seven months after illegally entering the country from Lebanon. He explained that his purpose for traveling to Syria was for spiritual reasons. Timmerman recounted that his cell door was forcibly opened by two armed men on Monday, and he subsequently left the prison with a large group in an attempt to reach Jordan.
Despite his ordeal, Timmerman described his time in the Syrian prison as relatively tolerable. He stated that he was not physically abused during his detention, but highlighted the challenge of restricted bathroom access, being allowed to use the facilities only three times a day.
Timmerman reiterated his account in an interview with the Al-Arabiya TV network. A US official acknowledged the reports of an American found outside Damascus and expressed the intention to offer support. However, due to privacy considerations, no further details were disclosed at this time.
