Freed Journalist In Good Health, Father Says

A journalist with Massachusetts roots who was being held by militants in Syria for almost two years was released over the weekend.

Peter Theo Curtis was released into U.S. custody in Golan Heights Sunday after Qatari diplomats negotiated his freedom.

Curtis was captured by militants from the al-Nusra Front, an al-Qaida affiliate, when he was crossing into the Syrian border from Turkey.

Curtis' father Michael Padnos told WBUR on Monday that he's been told his son is in good health.

"My understanding was that he's being taken to Tel Aviv and given further health examinations and then he's going to be flying back to Boston, maybe [Monday] or maybe [Tuesday] — I'm not sure; we don't know." Padnos said.

Curtis' mother, Nancy Curtis, lives in Cambridge where Curtis attended Buckingham Browne & Nichols. He received his doctorate in literature from UMass Amherst.

Listen above to Michael Padnos' full conversation with WBUR's Morning Edition.