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Free Majd Kamalmaz, American Hostage in Syria | Pod Hostage Diplomacy
Manage episode 305578346 series 2966778
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In February 2017, American psychotherapist and humanitarian Majd Kamalmaz visited Syria to offer condolences to an elderly family member in mourning. Less than 24 hours after his arrival in Damascus, his family in the US received word that he was missing. Majd was apparently detained at a Syrian government checkpoint. More than 4 years later, Majd’s family have not spoken to him, heard from him or seen him since he was detained.
After the civil war in 2012, the United States suspended diplomatic ties with Syria. The US House of Representatives has passed a bipartisan resolution encouraging the State Department and other US government entities to engage with Syria to facilitate the safe release of Majd Kamalmaz. We speak to Majd’s daughter, Maryam Kamalmaz to find out how we can help bring her father back home.
We discuss Majd’s humanitarian work, his enforced disappearance, proof of life, his pre-existing health conditions, the toll this has taken on the Kamalmaz family, diplomatic ties between US and Syria as well as what the US government, Congress and President of the United States, Joe Biden should do better to bring Majd Kamalmaz home. We also discuss what journalists and the public can do to help.
If you prefer, you can watch the video version of this interview on YouTube.
For more information on Majd Kamalmaz, please check out the following:
- Free Majd Kamalmaz website
- Free Majd Kamalmaz Twitter account
- Maryam Kamalmaz Twitter account
- Social media hashtag: FreeMajd
Get the latest updates on hostage cases we at Pod Hostage Diplomacy are working on including new episodes by subscribing to our fortnightly newsletter, the Hostage Briefing. Subscribe here.
Chapters
1. Intro (00:00:00)
2. Who is Majd Kamalmaz? (00:00:48)
3. What happened to Majd Kamalmaz? (00:02:09)
4. Proof of life (00:03:53)
5. Majid’s pre-existing health conditions (00:06:48)
6. Toll Majd’s enforced disappearance has taken on the family (00:07:34)
7. What should the US government do better? (00:10:49)
8. What should Congress do better? (00:17:51)
9. What should President Biden do better? (00:19:29)
10. What can journalists do to help? (00:20:31)
11. What can the public do to help? (00:21:40)
12. Keeping up to date with the Free Majd Kamalmaz campaign (00:22:30)
13. NGOs that have supported the Kamalmaz family (00:23:13)
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