Official announcements from the U.S. Department of State or the U.S. Treasury

U.S. Citizen Travis Timmerman Freed from Syrian Prison After Assad's Fall

Dec 13, 2024, 05:29 AM

Travis Timmerman, a 29-year-old American from Missouri, was discovered wandering barefoot in Damascus, Syria, after being freed from Far Falastin Prison following the fall of Bashar al-Assad's regime. Timmerman had entered Syria seven months earlier for a Christian pilgrimage and was detained upon crossing the border. Despite the notorious reputation of the prison, Timmerman described his detention as 'not so hard,' stating he was not beaten and was allowed to go to the bathroom three times a day. His release came unexpectedly when guards fled as the regime collapsed. U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken confirmed that the U.S. is working to bring Timmerman home. The fall of Assad's regime has led to the release of thousands of prisoners, revealing the harsh conditions and abuses within Syria's detention facilities.