Travis Timmerman, an American who vanished seven months ago into Syria’s infamous prison system under former President Bashar Assad, described his recent release as a “blessing.” Speaking to the Associated Press from a Damascus hotel late Thursday, Timmerman recounted his ordeal and liberation by rebel forces who toppled Assad’s government, ending over five decades of his family’s rule.
Pilgrimage Turned Imprisonment
Timmerman, 29, from Urbana, Missouri, was detained in June after crossing into Syria from Lebanon during a Christian pilgrimage. Accused of being a spy, he was interrogated and imprisoned in the Palestine Branch, a notorious Syrian intelligence detention facility. Despite hearing daily beatings of other detainees, Timmerman said he was not physically harmed, attributing his relatively better treatment to being a non-Syrian prisoner.
“I was there seven months. There were women above me,” Timmerman said, recalling hearing women singing and teaching their children while enduring the sounds of others being tortured.
A Dramatic Rescue
On Monday morning, Timmerman was freed alongside 70 female prisoners and a young Syrian man when members of the rebel group Hayat Tahrir al-Sham breached the prison during their offensive in Damascus. Timmerman said his captors had let him call his family three weeks earlier, but he had not revealed his location.
The rebels responsible for his release expressed readiness to collaborate with U.S. authorities to locate other missing Americans, including journalist Austin Tice, who disappeared in Syria 12 years ago.
Life in Detention
Timmerman described his prison conditions as harsh but survivable. His cell contained only a mattress and containers for drinking and waste. He was given unleavened bread, rice, and oats, with occasional potatoes or tomatoes, a privilege likely reserved for non-Syrian prisoners. Friday prayers helped him keep track of time, and he tried to use his incarceration as a time of reflection.
“It is a time of solace, and you can meditate on your life,” Timmerman said. “It was good for me.”
The Road to Recovery
After his release, Timmerman, disheveled and exhausted, stayed in Damascus before being found barefoot by a Syrian family who gave him food and care. Rebels later retrieved him and began arrangements to hand him over to U.S. officials.
Timmerman’s mother, Stacey Gardiner, who had last heard from him in May, expressed relief at his safety. Initially, Timmerman told her he was visiting Prague and Budapest to write about churches before losing contact entirely. Gardiner had no idea whether he was alive or dead.
Next Steps
U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken confirmed efforts to bring Timmerman home while emphasizing the Biden administration’s commitment to resolving other cases, including Tice’s. Timmerman, despite his ordeal, plans to return to Damascus.
His experience sheds light on the grim realities of Syria’s detention system and the resilience of those who survive it.
Stacey Gardiner, the mother of Travis Timmerman, expressed her anguish and relief following her son’s unexpected release from Syria’s notorious prison system. “I couldn’t help him, and that broke my heart more and more each day,” Gardiner said. “I just want my baby to come home.”
Disappearance and Search Efforts
Timmerman, who goes by Travis, was reported missing in early June, prompting the Missouri State Highway Patrol to issue a bulletin stating that “Pete Timmerman” had disappeared in Hungary. In late August, Hungarian police announced that he had last been seen at a church in Budapest. His family remained unaware of his fate for months.
A Chaotic Rescue
Timmerman recounted the dramatic moments of his release. Woken by activity outside his cell, he initially panicked, uncertain if the situation was part of a war zone. Rebels speaking Arabic broke down his cell door. Gunfire, which he later realized was celebratory blanks, added to the confusion. “It was an excited scene. It was not clear if the guards who were there were still there,” he said.
At one point, Timmerman ran back into the prison with other prisoners. A fellow detainee helped him out, holding his arm and translating Arabic instructions. Together, they accompanied a female prisoner to her home before parting ways.
Post-Release Journey
After his release, Timmerman spent two nights in Damascus—one in an abandoned apartment and another with a new acquaintance. He began walking toward Jordan but was found barefoot and disheveled by a Syrian family on a main road near Damascus. Initially mistaken for Austin Tice, another missing American, Timmerman was brought back to their home.
“I fed him and called a doctor,” said Mosaed al-Rifai, a 68-year-old waste collector who discovered Timmerman. A few hours later, rebels arrived to escort him to safety.
Efforts to Repatriate Timmerman
Mouaz Mostafa, executive director of the Syrian Emergency Task Force, confirmed Timmerman’s location and contacted U.S. authorities. Timmerman is now recovering as arrangements are made to transfer him to American officials.
The Case of Austin Tice
Timmerman’s release reignites focus on the case of Austin Tice, an American journalist who went missing near Damascus in August 2012. U.S. officials, including President Joe Biden and Secretary of State Antony Blinken, remain committed to bringing Tice home, though there is no direct evidence of his current status.
Tice’s disappearance, widely reported and symbolized by a video showing him blindfolded and held by armed men, has long frustrated U.S. intelligence efforts. Assad’s government has denied detaining him, but the search for Tice continues to be a high priority for the Biden administration.
“This is a priority for the United States,” Blinken reiterated during a press briefing from Aqaba, Jordan.
Timmerman’s harrowing journey underscores the complexities and dangers faced by those detained in Syria, as well as the challenges involved in bringing missing Americans home.
