As insurgents endeavor to liberate individuals detained by the ousted Assad regime, an increasing number of missing persons are being discovered.
Earlier on Wednesday, a man who claimed he was imprisoned after illegally entering Syria on foot seven months prior was located unharmed.
Initially, there were concerns it could be missing American journalist Austin Tice, who vanished in Syria in 2012, but he and the journalist’s family have confirmed otherwise.
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Additionally, the fate of a British journalist abducted in Syria the same year remains uncertain, even though the British government earlier asserted he is alive in 2019.
John Cantlie has been featured in ISIS propaganda videos and is believed to be the last known British captive held by the radical group.
He was seized in November 2012 alongside Jim Foley, an American journalist who was executed by British IS member Mohammed Emwazi, also known as “Jihadi John”, who was ultimately killed in a US drone strike in 2015.
Until 2016, he presented several English-language propaganda films for his captors—a tactic condemned by journalism advocacy group Reporters Without Borders.
John Cantlie featured in a video disseminated by IS
“ISIS has exploited him for propaganda purposes in Syria and Iraq for the past two years,” stated the group’s former leader Christophe Deloire in 2016.
“His captivity and exploitation represent horrendous acts of torture.”
There has been no communication from him since.
In a video broadcast in 2016, he was seen appearing gaunt and spoke about the damages he claimed the West had inflicted on the infrastructure.
He remarked that ordinary citizens were severely impacted and “were stopped in their tracks by the bombs that have obliterated these bridges”.
Later in the footage, Mr. Cantlie relocated to another setting. In the background, individuals were filling containers with water from a standpipe.
“Since the coalition commenced extensive bombings on this city, water has emerged as a significant issue,” he commented.
In 2019, the then-security minister Ben Wallace asserted he was still living during a briefing to reporters in London, although no additional details were provided.
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A social media account established by supporters shared a response to Mr. Wallace’s statements.
“We are aware of the current reports suggesting that John Cantlie is alive; while this remains unverified, we continue to hope and pray that this proves to be accurate,” stated the account named Free John Cantlie.
A few weeks prior to Mr. Wallace’s assertion, an official with the US-backed Syrian Democratic Forces, which had been working on reclaiming the remaining territories held by IS, remarked that Mr. Cantlie might still be living.
They indicated that he could potentially be in the vicinity of Hajin, a town located in the eastern Syrian province of Deir Ezzor.
