A Canadian tourist held in Syrian detention since 2018 has been released.

Kristian Lee Baxter arrived in the country on 26 November and stopped contacting his family about a week later.

His mother, Andrea Leclair, previously described her son as a "world traveller" and "adventurer".

"I thought I would be there forever," Mr Baxter said during an emotional appearance at a news conference in Beirut on Friday.

Lebanon's security chief Abbas Ibrahim, who appeared alongside him, said he was detained for "reasons related to breaking Syrian law".

Canada has advised citizens against travelling to Syria since civil war broke out in 2011.

"Syria is not safe for personal travel," the advisory on their website says. "Attempting any form of travel in this very hazardous security environment would place you at grave risk." </s> …Canadian tourist held in Syrian detention since 2018 has been released.

Kristian Lee Baxter arrived in the country on 26 November and stopped contacting his family about a week later.

His mother, Andrea Leclair, previously described her son as a “world traveller” and “adventurer”.

“I thought I would be there forever,” Mr Baxter said during an emotional appearance at a news conference in Beirut on Friday.

“I didn’t know if anyone knew if I was alive,” he added.

Lebanon’s security chief Abbas Ibrahim, who appeared alongside him, said the Canadian was detained for “reasons related to breaking Syrian law”.

Mr Ibrahim was also involved in securing the release of a US traveller, Sam Goodwin, from Syria last month.

Canada has advised citizens against travelling to Syria since civil war broke out in 2011.

“Syria is not safe for personal travel,” the advisory on their website says. “Attempting any form of travel in this very hazardous security environment would place you at grave risk.”

Canada’s foreign ministry said in a short statement on Friday they were “very relieved” at Mr Baxter’s release and thanked the Lebanese government for its assistance in the case.

Mr Baxter, who was 44 when he went missing, was supposed to return home on 13 December.

Ms Leclair told CTV News in January that her son had been staying at a village near the Lebanese border after arriving there from Beirut. He reportedly disappeared while attempting to locate a driver who had gone back to Lebanon to retrieve his luggage, which arrived there by plane after him.

The driver was reportedly detained on the border when a metal detector was found in her son’s bag, Ms Leclair said.

The circumstances of Mr Baxter’s detention and release have not been revealed by officials. </s> Canadian man Kristian Lee Baxter held in Syria is freed in Lebanon </s> BEIRUT — A British Columbia man detained in Syria since late last year has been released, Lebanese authorities said Friday. Kristian Lee Baxter, who has been described by his family as a “world traveller,” spoke from Beirut and thanked the Lebanese and Canadian governments for securing his release. He broke down in tears during a televised news conference as he described his eight-month ordeal. “I thought I would be there forever,” Baxter told reporters. “I didn’t know if anyone knew if I was alive.” He also said Baxter was detained for what Syrian authorities considered a “major violation” of local laws, but didn’t elaborate on comments that Syrian officials may have considered the incident security related.

Baxter, who is from Nanaimo, B.C., was detained in December 2018 after seeking adventure in the war-ravaged country. “I would like to thank the Lebanese for helping me get free,” he said. Reaching out to hold the shoulder of Canadian Ambassador Emmanuelle Lamoureux, who also attended the news conference, Baxter acknowledged the aid of Canadian officials. “I’d just like to thank the Canadian Embassy for helping me,” he said. Baxter’s release marked a “wonderful day for Canadians” said Lamoureux, who also thanked the Lebanese authorities for helping with this “wonderful outcome.” A statement from Global Affairs Canada said the government is “relieved” at Baxter’s release. “We would also like to express out appreciation to the government of Lebanon for its assistance,” said the statement. Global Affairs also said consular services will continue to be provided to Baxter and his family. Watch: A Syrian man, who was stranded in an airport for months, made it to Canada. Story continues below.

Baxter’s mother, Andrea Leclair, told The Canadian Press last January that her son messaged her daily because she was worried after he arrived in Syria on Nov. 26, 2018, but he went silent after his last message days later on Dec. 1. Leclair described her son as “a world traveller and adventurer” and said he visited a village near the border of Lebanon at the invitation of his girlfriend’s brother-in-law. She said Baxter was supposed to be home Dec. 13 and his travel visa to Syria expired on Dec. 12 or 13. The government has been warning Canadians to avoid travelling to Syria since 2011 after the outbreak of a civil war that has attracted foreign powers and spawned a multitude of militias, including a new Islamist terror group, while leaving an estimated 500,000 people dead. Canada severed diplomatic relations with Syria in 2012, expelling its diplomats and shuttering its embassy. With files from The Associated Press </s> Image copyright Reuters Image caption Mr Baxter's family last heard from him on 1 December

A Canadian tourist held in Syrian detention since 2018 has been released.

Kristian Lee Baxter arrived in the country on 26 November and stopped contacting his family about a week later.

His mother, Andrea Leclair, previously described her son as a "world traveller" and "adventurer".

"I thought I would be there forever," Mr Baxter said during an emotional appearance at a news conference in Beirut on Friday.

"I didn't know if anyone knew if I was alive," he added.

Lebanon's security chief Abbas Ibrahim, who appeared alongside him, said the Canadian was detained for "reasons related to breaking Syrian law".

Mr Ibrahim was also involved in securing the release of a US traveller, Sam Goodwin, from Syria last month.

Canada has advised citizens against travelling to Syria since civil war broke out in 2011.

Image copyright Reuters Image caption Canada's ambassador to Lebanon, Emmanuelle Lamoureux, was also in attendance

"Syria is not safe for personal travel," the advisory on their website says. "Attempting any form of travel in this very hazardous security environment would place you at grave risk."

Canada's Foreign Minister Chrystia Freeland told reporters in Calgary on Friday that she is "personally relieved by this outcome and I'm sure Mr Baxter's family and loved ones are as well".

She added that despite the positive outcome in this case that it "should remind us all to exercise a high degree of caution when traveling to dangerous parts of the world".

"I'm ecstatic that Kristian is on his way home," said Ms Leclair in a statement, and thanked Canadian officials and the Lebanese government for their assistance in the case.

Mr Baxter, who was 44 when he went missing, was supposed to return home on 13 December.

Ms Leclair told CTV News in January that her son had been staying at a village near the Lebanese border after arriving there from Beirut. He reportedly disappeared while attempting to locate a driver who had gone back to Lebanon to retrieve his luggage, which arrived there by plane after him.

The driver was reportedly detained on the border when a metal detector was found in her son's bag, Ms Leclair said.

The circumstances of Mr Baxter's detention and release have not been revealed by officials. </s> A Canadian man has been freed after being held for eight months by the Damascus authorities in war-torn Syria, the former detainee and Lebanon's security chief said Friday.

British Columbia native Kristian Lee Baxter on Friday appeared at a televised press conference in Lebanon's capital Beirut after his release mediated by the Lebanese authorities.

"I thought I would be there forever," he said, after breaking down in tears.

"Honestly, I didn't know if anyone would know I was alive," he said, his grey hair trimmed short and wearing a grey t-shirt.

Canadian media reported in early January that there had been no signs of Baxter, then 44, since December 1, 2018.

Baxter thanked his embassy in Beirut and Lebanese authorities for helping secure his release.

Lebanese security chief Abbas Ibrahim said Baxter had been detained since last year "for reasons linked to breaking Syrian laws", without elaborating.

"He is on his way back to Canada," he said, thanking the Syrian authorities for what he described as their swift response on the issue.

Canada's ambassador to Beirut, Emmanuelle Lamoureux, said she was unable to provide any more details.

"Due to privacy laws in Canada, I'm not able to comment on specifics of the case," she said.

Described as an adventure traveller by his loved ones, Baxter had made no contact since arriving at a Syrian village where his brother-in-law was born.

He had travelled there despite the brutal war raging in Syria since 2011.

A Canadian official told AFP earlier this year that "a Canadian citizen has been detained in Syria", without providing any further details, due to reasons of confidentiality.

He said "the security situation across Syria significantly restrains the Canadian government's ability to provide consular assistance".

Since the Syrian war broke out, Ottawa has urged Canadians to avoid travelling to the country.

The conflict has killed over 370,000 people and displaced millions more since starting in 2011 with the brutal repression of anti-government protests.

Canada cut diplomatic ties with Damascus after the conflict began.

Last month, Lebanon said it had facilitated the release of a 30-year-old American after two months of detention.

Sam Goodwin had last been seen on May 25 in the city of Qamishli in northeast Syria after crossing from Turkey as part of his bid to visit every country in the world, The Washington Post reported.

One of those missing is American journalist Austin Tice, who was kidnapped in Syria seven years ago this month by unidentified armed men after he had been reporting south of Damascus.

His kidnapping was never claimed by any organisation.

In December, Tice's father said he believed the Syrian government was best placed to help bring the journalist home. </s> A Canadian citizen held by the Syrian government since last year was released in Lebanon on Friday and broke down in tears at a news conference, saying he thought he would be held forever. 



"I didn't know if anyone knew if I was alive," said Kristian Lee Baxter, struggling to speak as he choked back tears while sitting alongside Canada's ambassador to Lebanon and the Lebanese security chief in Beirut.

Baxter, wearing a grey t-shirt, was detained while traveling in Syria last year, though it was not clear what he was doing there and the Canadian ambassador Emmanuelle Lamoureux said she could not give any details about the case.Baxter thanked both the Canadian embassy and the Lebanese authorities for helping him get out of Syria. Lamoureux thanked Lebanese security chief Abbas Ibrahim, who last month mediated the release of a U.S. citizen in Syria.Ibrahim said Baxter had been detained for reasons related to breaking Syrian law."I thought I would be there forever," Baxter said."I didn't know if anyone knew if I was alive," he added, and then began to sobs.It was unclear what Baxter was doing in Syria at the time of his detention. Sam Goodwin, the U.S. citizen freed last month, had been traveling in Syria without a visa.Several Western citizens have been held in Syria since the civil war began there in 2011, including some by jihadist groups such as Islamic State.The United States has said it believes U.S. journalist Austin Tice, who has been held in Syria since 2012, is alive and Washington has sought the help of the Syrian government's ally Russia to free him. Last year the family of another American, Majd Kamalmaz, told the New York Times that he had disappeared at a government checkpoint in Damascus in 2017. </s> General Security chief Maj. Gan. Abbas Ibrahim announced in a press conference on Friday that Lebanon has mediated the release of a Canadian citizen captured in Syrian last year.

“I thank the Syrian state for answering our calls that led to the release of an American hostage before and a Canadian hostage today. The issue falls in Lebanon’s interest because it brings us back to the world map at the civilized and humanitarian levels,” said Ibrahim in remarks to reporters.

The Canadian citizen “Christian Lee Baxter has been in detention in Syria since last year for reasons related to violating the Syrian laws,” added Ibrahim.

For her part, the Canadian ambassador said: “We extend our gratitude to Maj. Gen. Ibrahim and for the role he played to bring a Canadian citizen back to his family. Today is a glorious day for Canadians.”

“Due to privacy laws in Canada I will not comment on the specifics of the case,” she added.

Baxter himself appeared at the televised press conference in Beirut after his release.

"I thought I would be there forever," he said, breaking down in tears.

"Honestly, I didn't know if anyone would know I was alive," he said, wearing a gray t-shirt.

Canadian media reported in early January that there had been no signs of Baxter, then 44, since December 1, 2018 after he arrived in Syria.

Baxter thanked his embassy in Beirut and Lebanese authorities for helping secure his release.

Described as an adventure traveler by his loved ones, Baxter had made no contact since arriving at a Syrian village where his brother-in-law was born.

He had traveled there despite the brutal war raging in Syria since 2011.

A spokesman for Global Affairs Canada, which manages the country's diplomatic relations, told AFP earlier this year that "a Canadian citizen has been detained in Syria," without providing any further details, due to reasons of confidentiality.

He said "the security situation across Syria significantly restrains the Canadian government's ability to provide consular assistance."

Since the Syrian war broke out, Ottawa has urged Canadians to avoid traveling to the country.

The conflict has killed over 370,000 people and displaced millions more since starting in 2011 with the brutal repression of anti-government protests.

Canada cut diplomatic ties with Damascus after the conflict began. </s> The father of a British-Canadian dual national held by Kurds in Syria pleaded Tuesday for Ottawa's help to rescue him and at least 18 other Canadians, amid concerns that some of them pose a security risk.

Jack Letts, 23, has been held in Syria for 18 months, his father John told reporters in Ottawa.

"I need your help to save my son's life," said Letts, who appeared at a press conference with Alexandra Bain, director of Families Against Violent Extremism.

They said nine Canadians, including the younger Letts, as well as at least 10 of their children -- some taken to Syria, some born in the war zone -- are currently being held by Kurdish authorities on Syrian soil.

Bain said they face a cold winter ahead, are given little to eat, are not provided an education and tuberculosis has started to spread in the camps.

"These people need to be brought home to Canada and they need to be brought home now," Bain said.

The government of Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has said it will not risk sending officials to Syria to negotiate for their release, citing security concerns.

Ottawa has also raised concerns about the collection of evidence in conflict zones to prosecute returnees under Canadian terrorism laws.

"We are aware of Canadian citizens being detained in Syria," foreign ministry spokesman Stefano Maron told AFP.

"Given the security situation on the ground, the government of Canada's ability to provide consular assistance in any part of Syria is extremely limited," he said.

"Canada is engaged in these cases and is providing assistance, to the limited extent possible," including verifying their "whereabouts and well-being," Maron added.

The families of detainees and their supporters were to meet later Tuesday with senior Canadian foreign ministry officials to pitch their proposal for a brokered return.

Letts and Bain said the human rights organization Reprieve would travel to camps in northern Syria to help facilitate their return, but only if Canada agrees to supply the returnees with travel documents.

To alleviate public concerns about repatriating Canadians with possible terror links, Bain said returnees would agree to "voluntary security arrangements," without elaborating on the terms.

Reprieve has previously helped repatriate an American from Syria under similar circumstances, Bain noted.

The reason for Letts' presence in Syria is somewhat unclear.

British media have suggested he is fighting for extremist groups, but his father said he was "not a violent jihadist" though he might have been "naive and wrong" to go to Syria.

Canadian officials had been trying to secure Letts' return home but suddenly halted their efforts in May, the father said.

"They just said there's nothing we can do because it's too dangerous," he told reporters, holding back tears.

The father suggested pressure on Canada from Britain, which has refused to take Jack back, or the upcoming Canadian election in 2019 may have factored into the decision.
Canadian tourist Kristian Lee Baxter, who had been held in Syrian detention since 2018, is released in Lebanon.