From his home in Houston, Marc Tice said on Thursday that he was working with his son’s editors at The Washington Post and McClatchy Newspapers.

“We have a belief that he’s in Syrian custody, but we have not heard from the only people who would know for sure. That’s the Syrians,” he told The Associated Press in a Thursday telephone interview.

The father expressed gratitude to those working on his son’s behalf but declined to comment further on the situation. However, in a statement to The Post and McClatchy, the Tice family said, “Austin is our precious son, and we beseech the Syrian government to treat him well and return him safely to us as soon as possible.”

Austin Tice worked as a freelance journalist for both media organisations. They reported Thursday that the Czech Republic ambassador to Syria had reported that Tice was alive.