American Citizen Presumed Dead After Disappearing in Syria

An American citizen who vanished seven years ago while traveling in Syria is now believed to be deceased, according to the daughter of the missing man. Maryam Kamalmaz revealed that she had been informed by eight senior U.S. officials that there is specific and highly credible intelligence indicating the presumed death of her father, Majd, a psychotherapist from Texas. The officials conveyed a high level of confidence in their assessment, rating it at "a high nine" on a scale of one to ten.

During a meeting held in Washington, Maryam Kamalmaz was informed by the officials that they strongly believe her father's death occurred several years ago, early in his captivity. She mentioned that the officials had previously indicated in 2020 that there were reasons to believe her father had passed away due to heart failure in 2017, but the recent meeting provided a more conclusive confirmation of the credible information and its verification process.

Family's Hope and Pursuit

The Kamalmaz family had maintained hope despite the previous indications of Majd Kamalmaz's demise, and the U.S. officials had continued their pursuit. However, the recent meeting instilled a deep understanding of the credibility of the information within the family. Maryam Kamalmaz emphasized the significance of the high-level officials' confirmation, stating that it left no room for doubt.

Majd Kamalmaz disappeared in February 2017 while visiting a family member in Syria. The FBI reported that he was stopped at a Syrian government checkpoint in a suburb of Damascus and had not been heard from since. His case is one of several involving Americans who have gone missing in Syria, including journalist Austin Tice, who vanished in 2012 at a checkpoint in a contested area west of Damascus.

In 2020, during the final months of the Trump administration, senior officials engaged in a high-level meeting in Damascus with the aim of negotiating the release of the missing Americans, including Kamalmaz and Tice. However, the meeting did not yield the desired outcome, as the Syrians failed to provide any proof-of-life information and made demands deemed unreasonable by U.S. officials.

Officials from the United States have reiterated their commitment to bringing home Austin Tice and continue their efforts to secure his release. The efforts to address the disappearances of American citizens in Syria are ongoing, underscoring the importance attached to these cases by the U.S. government.