Syria denies holding US journalist Austin Tice

The Syrian Foreign Ministry on Wednesday refuted claims by President Joe Biden that it was holding captive Austin Tice following the US journalist's disappearance in 2012.

To mark the tenth anniversary of his abduction whilst covering the lengthy, multi-sided conflict in the Middle Eastern country, the White House last week said it was "certain" that Tice was being "held by the Government of Syria."

However, Damascus responded in a statement saying it "denies" it had "kidnapped or is holding any American citizen on its territories."

"The US issued last week misleading and illogical statements by the American president and secretary of state that included baseless accusations against Syria that it had kidnapped or detained American citizens including former US Marine Austin Tice,'' the statement added.

US wants to 'bring Austin home'

Washington said it was pressuring Damascus to return US prisoners.

"We have repeatedly asked the government of Syria to work with us so that we can bring Austin home," Biden said in a statement last week.

State Department Spokesman Ned Price also commented on Tice on Tuesday, noting that  the US government has "engaged extensively — and that includes directly — with Syrian officials and through third parties."

"Syria has never acknowledged holding him," Price said of Tice, adding that "we are not going to be deterred in our efforts. We are going to pursue every avenue for securing Austin's safe return."

Tice family have seen 43 seconds of footage in 10 years

Tice was last seen at a checkpoint in a contested area west of Damascus on August 14, 2012, just days after his 31st birthday.

If Tice has been detained by Syrian government forces, their allies, or other parties to the conflict, it would likely amount to an "enforced disappearance" which would constitute a crime under international law, NGO Human Rights Watch (HRW) said on its website on Monday.

"According to his family, the only information released by his captors has been a 43-second video showing him being held by unidentified armed men," HRW said.

RSF highlights dangers for journalists covering conflict

Last year, to mark the 10th anniversary of the war that began in the wake of the Arab Spring, Reporters Without Borders (RSF) warned that at least 300 "professional and non-professional journalists have been killed... covering a war in which 400,000 people have died" at the hands of "both an authoritarian regime and radical armed groups."

RSF also said the figure regarding the number of journalists who had perished "could in reality be even higher" with many others arrested or kidnapped.

jsi/dj (AP, dpa, Reuters)