[ad_1]
President Joe Biden gained reward for his assembly Monday with the dad and mom of Austin Tice, a contract journalist who disappeared whereas masking the Syrian civil struggle almost a decade in the past. However the household of a lesser-known American kidnapped in Syria say they’re struggling to get Biden’s consideration.
“It hurts,” mentioned Maryam Kamalmaz, whose father Majd Kamalmaz was final seen at a authorities checkpoint close to the Syrian capital Damascus in February 2017.
Kamalmaz, a twin US-Syrian citizen, and Tice are among the many roughly half dozen Individuals thought to have been taken by the Syrian authorities or affiliated forces throughout battle.
The regime of President Bashar al-Assad has by no means publicly acknowledged holding them, and an absence of diplomatic relations between Washington and Damascus has sophisticated efforts to safe their launch.
“I don’t need to take away from Austin as a result of he deserves each little bit of consideration, however I solely want they’d acknowledge us as effectively,” mentioned Maryam Kamalmaz.
Throughout final weekend’s White Home Correspondents’ Dinner, Biden publicly agreed to satisfy with Austin’s mom Debra Tice, who was within the viewers. The household had lengthy sought a gathering with the president and in December, described the White Home as a “hurdle” to constructing on earlier talks geared toward liberating their son.
Kamalmaz’s household say they’re operating into the identical points. Regardless of common contact with the State Division’s workplace of the Particular Presidential Envoy for Hostage Affairs and the FBI-led hostage restoration cell, they’ve struggled to get the eye of the White Home.
They’re not alone of their frustration. On Wednesday, numerous households whose US kin are detained overseas held an illustration outdoors of the White Home to demand their very own conferences with Biden. A number of of them have met with Sullivan, who promised a bunch of hostage households throughout a digital name in December that he would meet with them individually.
“Why are we being left behind? The one different Syrian case that’s public has met with the president, and we haven’t even met with Jake Sullivan,” mentioned Kamalmaz.
A spokesperson for the Nationwide Safety Council didn’t return Al-Monitor’s request for remark.
In response to a query from Al-Monitor, State Division spokesperson Ned Worth mentioned Wednesday that the administration is dedicated to partaking with hostage households.
“These households are going to be one of the best specialists on the subject of the distinctive and the totality of circumstances behind every particular person case,” he mentioned, noting that Biden, Sullivan and others on the White Home have “routinely met with the households of hostages.”
The Kamalmaz household believes their lacking patriarch continues to be alive, and in February instructed Al-Monitor that Roger Carstens, the White Home’s hostage affairs envoy, had contacted Syrian authorities officers concerning Kamalmaz.
Maryam Kamalmaz’s pressing plea for a presidential assembly follows the prisoner swap final week that noticed Marine veteran Trevor Reed return house to the US in change for a convicted Russian drug smuggler. Two different Individuals — former US Marine Paul Whelan and American basketball participant Brittney Griner — stay wrongfully detained in Russia. The Biden administration says it continues to push for his or her launch.
Maryam Kamalmaz fears an identical situation, one through which her father is not noted of a possible prisoner deal between Syria and the US.
“[Biden] has proved himself that he’s able to bringing hostages again,” she mentioned. “I simply need them to be a package deal collectively the place nobody is left behind.”
[ad_2]
Source link