Austin Tice's family steps up campaign for his release

Austin Tice, a 33-year-old American journalist, was abducted near Damascus on August 14, 2012, while he was covering the civil war in Syria.

"After almost two and a half years, we feel like we need to let everybody know our son is missing and can you please help us get him home," said Debra Tice, his mother. She appeared with husband, Marc Tice, at a news conference at the National Press Club organized by the media rights group Reporters Without Borders on Thursday.

Tice not being held by the ‘Islamic State’

The circumstances of his disappearance are still a mystery, and it's unclear what group is holding him, but his captors are not believed to be the Islamic State group or the Syrian government, the family said.

After Tice's abduction, an Internet video surfaced showing him blindfolded. US officials said at the time they were not able to verify the video but believed Tice was likely held by the regime of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad.

Tice's parents said they have been told by "credible sources" their son is alive and well treated.

#FreeAustinTice

The family plans to raise awareness of Tice's captivity by launching an "#FreeAustinTice" online campaign. USA Today and McClatchy Newspapers are among the companies which will be featuring the digital campaign.

Additionally, the parents are asking supporters to sign a petition they will send to US President Barack Obama to help bring Tice home safely. The parents said also on Thursday that they are taking part in meetings for a White House policy review on how to handle hostage cases.

Lack of a single American entity responsible for hostages

Family members said they had grown frustrated that no single US government entity is responsible for pursuing the safe return of Americans hostages.

"That has to change," Debra Tice. Austin Tice's father added that he was pressing for the US government to establish "a single point of contact" for the families of captives.

Tice is a former Marine who has reported for The Washington Post, McClatchy Newspapers, The Associated Press and CBS. He was one of the few journalists reporting from Damascus during the Syrian civil war. In 2012, Tice and the staff of McClatchy Newspapers won the George W. Polk Award for war reporting.

According to Reporters Without Borders, Syria is the most dangerous country for working journalists. The organization has documented hundreds of cases of reporters arrested, kidnapped or killed in the country.

ra/sms (AFP, AP)