WASHINGTON — His children met one-on-one with Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, and even took their case to the White House with a vigil near the North Lawn.
Yet after nearly 900 days, longtime Virginia resident Majd Kamalmaz remained missing in Syria – even as news spread that the dictatorship in Damascus released an American tourist early Friday from custody.
The tourist wasn’t Kamalmaz.
Instead, the Syrian government granted American Sam Goodwin a reprieve, after he entered the country two months ago without a visa. Mr. Goodwin was near the end of a journey to set foot in every single country on earth.
Mr. Kamalmaz, 61, vanished in February 2017 during a visit to see family in Damascus. He previously opened clinics to help children in conflict zones, using his background in clinical psychology to support the youngest victims of Syria’s civil war.
“This man is amazing, and simply does not deserve to be held captive in a prison,” his daughter Maryam Kamalmaz said. “We're truly, truly working very very hard, and pushing forward as much as we can, to get him back home.”
The Kamalmaz family sent a letter to President Trump in October 2018, and continues to work with Robert C. O’Brien, the State Department’s special presidential envoy for hostage affairs.
Information has been sparse, with communication through diplomatic channels nearly impossible. The United States cut diplomatic ties with Syria in 2012 during the beginning of the brutal civil war.
Kamalmaz is a grandfather of 13, and was last seen at a military checkpoint in Damascus. He has not been heard from since his detainment.
“Our father is an American patriotic humanitarian,” said Khalid Kamalmaz in a March interview outside the White House. “He did his best to serve his country, and to serve other fellow human beings all around the world.”
Kamalmaz is a dual American-Syrian citizen, who lived in Manassas, Sterling, Leesburg and Dulles. He later moved to Dallas, with family remaining in Northern Virginia.
“We’re very thankful for the Trump Administration’s attention to this matter,” Maryam said. “We’re praying the president’s ability to negotiate and release hostages will be applied to our father, in the most efficient and speedy way possible.”