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Travis Timmerman who spent half a year in a government prison, has been released by Syrian rebels.
Timmerman, 29, was imprisoned after entering the country without permission when he crossed the border from Lebanon. He had travelled to Lebanon from Europe for "spiritual purposes."
"I had crossed a mountain between Lebanon and Syria, and I was living in that mountain for three days and three nights without food or water." Afterwards, he was spotted by a Syrian border guard and detained.
Timmerman told reporters that he was a Christian and was on a pilgrimage to Damascus. The American was in good health and didn't seem bothered by his time in prison or with the regime change.
When asked by a CBS reporter what was the 'hardest' part of being in prison, he responded, "There really wasn't a hard part... it wasn't too bad." He told the reporter that he wasn't beaten and that the only real challenge was managing scheduled bathroom breaks.
He was further asked, "What were the conditions like in prison?" "They were decent... I was fed well, I always had water."
Reporters and rebels handled Timmerman with urgency, moving him from one place to another, bombarding him with questions, and thrusting phones in his face. He remained calm and unbothered.
At one point, he was asked, "Would you like to be in touch with the United States to talk to your family?" Travis responded, "No, I'm okay for now" and continued to answer questions.
The America seemed interested in sharing his religious beliefs but was constantly interrupted before he could answer. "What was your religious belief that made you do that?" a CNN journalist asked. "I've been reading the scriptures and I interpreted–" Travis was then cut off by rebels telling him to "stand up."
There are some brief interviews from CNN and CBS, but nothing that shares insight into his experiences in prison and motives for illegally crossing the border.
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