Daniel Rye Interview: Kidnapped By ISIS

Daniel Rye is a Danish freelance photojournalist. In 2013 he was kidnapped by the Islamic State while reporting on the refugee crisis in Northern Syria and held hostage for 398 days. Once he was released in the summer of 2014 he returned to working as a photographer and international reporting. His latest photographs about the climate refugee crisis can be seen in his book, While We Wait. Daniel is also a former elite gymnast & teacher. You can read more about Daniel's kidnapping in the book, The ISIS Hostage by Puk Damsgaard.
From the 2016 Kunhardt Films Documentary “Jim: The James Foley Story”, offers an in-depth look at the life and work of American journalist James Foley, who was killed by ISIS terrorists in 2014. Friends and family sit down to discuss Foley's life and his time in captivity.
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Interviewee: Daniel Rye, Photojournalist
Interviewed By: Brian Oakes
Interview Date: 03/17/2015
Chapter Markers:
00:16 - Introduction and Background
02:06 - Covering the situation in Syria
06:39 - The day Daniel Rye was taken
11:49 - Daniel explains what a Fixer does
15:30 - First day of Daniel’s capture
21:54 - Details of the capture
33:44 - Meeting Jim
40:00 - Finding community
54:05 - Passing the time
57:30 - John Cantlie
01:01:12 - Steven Sotloff
01:04:53 - What Jim was like
01:29:35 - Keeping track of time
01:43:33 - Creating the Risk game
01:48:44 - Rules around food
01:56:18 - The captors
02:01:45 - Daniel describes the punishments
02:13:46 - Prisoners start to be released
02:18:11 - Proof of life
02:29:19 - Daniel gets released
02:33:29 - Daniel describes the beatings
02:45:59 - A message to the outside world
02:56:37 - Coming home
03:02:18 - Finding out Jim was killed
03:12:09 - Jim’s legacy
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[@pepperred35]

I love Daniel's honesty and insight of captivity and Jim and John. It is both fascinating and heartbreaking.

[@localwarming]

It was so conflicting watching this long-form interview with Daniel. The process of this interview may well have been cathartic for Daniel to go through like this, but the format made me feel really uncomfortable that he was retelling his hell, but somehow he wasn’t the focus, and it kept being brought back to Jim’s experience. It was quite crushing to watching his tortured expressions and his eyes (!!) while he was reliving this experience. I realise the program is about Jim, I just hope Daniel is doing ok, and this interview process wasn’t to cruel for him. I hope I haven’t disrespected you in the clumsy way I’ve worded this.

[@jodyeastman5052]

After all of that, you are still a beautiful person. You seem very wise. ❤. I’m sorry for what you went through.

[@alexandreleite2541]

So young, so much lived already. Can’t imagine what they went through. Such a calming voice and vibe. Take care.🙏🏻🎁

[@mistieblue9]

Very painful interview!
Cannot imagine Being a prisoner in Syria!🙏💔😢
Heartbroken 💔
Good heart 💜 everyone in the prison was definitely good person!
To much pain!
Im very sad for all of them!🥲🙏

[@annabaranska2280]

Warm greetings from the Netherlands 🇳🇱 I am a Polish lady , my Grandfather faught against the Nazis in Poland . He was in the resistance , then captured and sent to the castle in Lublin , for two years , the only thing that Grandad told me was that his fellow prisoners gave each other lessons in all disciplines to stay alive .

[@mistieblue9]

Merci!

[@harrisibrahim2225]

Brave! Very sorry for what he endured. Human dignity is the core of all ideologies but then came a group, who arrogantly thought they knew more than the teachings of their own religion, which is why actual islamic scholars (Not the ones with criminal past, who found religion in Prison) call them Fe-tna (agents of distortion).

[@Luna-ii4mx]

What happened to the honest muslim he mentioned?

[@sonymats007]

Why go where you are not welcome????