Maryam Kamalmaz, the daughter of Majd Kamalmaz, a psychotherapist from Texas who went missing in Syria in 2017, has received detailed intelligence confirming her father’s presumed death. In a meeting with eight senior American officials in Washington, Maryam was informed that the confidence level regarding her father’s death was a “high nine” on a scale of one to 10.
The officials revealed to Maryam that they believe her father passed away years ago, early in his captivity. Despite previous indications in 2020 that Majd had died of heart failure in 2017, the family held out hope until this recent meeting, where the credibility of the information was confirmed.
Maryam expressed her gratitude for the high-level confirmation, stating, “What more do I need? There was no way to beat around the bush.” She also inquired about the successful recovery of other detained Americans in similar circumstances but was told that it had not been done before.
The FBI, responsible for investigating abductions in foreign countries, has been involved in the case of Majd Kamalmaz’s disappearance. Efforts to negotiate his release in 2020 were unsuccessful, with Syrian officials failing to provide proof-of-life information.
The New York Times first reported on the presumed death of Majd Kamalmaz, shedding light on the ongoing challenges faced by families of Americans detained or missing abroad. U.S. officials continue their efforts to bring closure to the Kamalmaz family and others in similar situations.