Contact: Bill McCarren (301) 257-1597 or wmccarren@voicesunbound.org
WASHINGTON, April 1 — Following is a statement from the family of Austin Tice:
“We are heartbroken to hear of the kidnapping of journalist Shelly Kittleson in Baghdad. We pray she is returned swiftly and unharmed to her loved ones.
Our family knows all too well what can happen when a journalist is kidnapped.
The focus of law enforcement must be the safe return of Shelly. There will be plenty of time to bring justice against the kidnappers after Shelly is freed. We believe this is the case for Austin as well.”
Austin Tice is a freelance journalist who worked for McClatchy and the Washington Post and other news organizations. He was taken in Syria in August of 2012 while on a reporting trip. It is known that he was taken by forces of the Assad government.