Daniel Rye
Photographer and former ISIS hostage sharing his story of surviving horrors, developing friendships and maintaining hope
Photo: Michael Kjaergaard
Photo: Michael Kjaergaard
Non-binding request for Daniel Rye
Former ISIS hostage sharing his terrifying story
Daniel Rye is an engaging & authentic speaker with a profound and horrifying story to tell. In his gripping talks, speaker Daniel Rye paints a picture of the nightmarish experience he had as a hostage of Islamic State in Syria.
Speaker Daniel Rye is a Danish freelance photographer who was reporting from Syria in hopes of raising awareness of the conflict and the horrible living conditions of the civilians there. Shockingly, it ended up with him being taken hostage by the terror organization Islamic State in Syria (ISIS).
For 13 months, speaker Daniel Rye was held hostage by ISIS together with 23 other western hostages. He was the very last hostage to be released from Islamic State’s notorious prison in the Syrian city Raqqa. After negotions as to a ransom, Daniel was released on the 19th of June 2014. Throughout that summer, IS killed the rest of the hostages, Daniel’s fellow prisoners - including American James Foley. James was the first victim of the videotaped executions by IS - a video that went around the world. During their time as hostages, James Foley and Daniel Rye became close friends. In the end, Daniel was the one to memorize and present Foley’s farewell to his family.
For his own security, speaker Daniel Rye’s time as a hostage was first made public after his release. While Daniel was held captive, his family collected the money for the ransom. The circle who knew the secret grew larger and larger, a dangerous risk to run.
Now speaker Daniel Rye openly tells about his experience in hopes of inspiring others to see the resilience and survivial instinct we all have.
For 13 months, speaker Daniel Rye was held hostage by ISIS together with 23 other western hostages. He was the very last hostage to be released from Islamic State’s notorious prison in the Syrian city Raqqa. After negotions as to a ransom, Daniel was released on the 19th of June 2014. Throughout that summer, IS killed the rest of the hostages, Daniel’s fellow prisoners - including American James Foley. James was the first victim of the videotaped executions by IS - a video that went around the world. During their time as hostages, James Foley and Daniel Rye became close friends. In the end, Daniel was the one to memorize and present Foley’s farewell to his family.
For his own security, speaker Daniel Rye’s time as a hostage was first made public after his release. While Daniel was held captive, his family collected the money for the ransom. The circle who knew the secret grew larger and larger, a dangerous risk to run.
Now speaker Daniel Rye openly tells about his experience in hopes of inspiring others to see the resilience and survivial instinct we all have.
