(NewsNation) — Ula Kamalmaz hasn’t heard from her father in six years. In February of 2017, Majd Kamalmaz traveled to Syria to visit an elderly family member in Damascus and was stopped at a Syrian government checkpoint in Mezzeh. He hasn’t been seen since, the FBI said.
“Since the day he left, it was the last day we have heard anything about him,” Ula explained to “On Balance” host Leland Vittert on Tuesday.
Kamalmaz is a psychologist who had been treating refugees in the region from war-torn Syria. During his 2017 trip, he was looking to start a clinic to help those traumatized by the Syrian civil war.
Ula’s family wants to make sure her father’s name is known, as the fight to bring him home continues.
“We understand it’s a process, but the fact that his name is not mentioned as often is questionable to us,” Ula told “On Balance” host Leland Vittert.
Ula thinks status or influence may be why some wrongful imprisonment cases garner more attention and action than others. She added that she is “happy” for WNBA star Brittney Griner who came back to the U.S. in December following a prisoner exchange.
“They’re all prisoners, and they all need to be rescued,” she added.
Kamalmaz holds Syrian and American citizenship and is believed to have ties to Mezzeh. He has gray hair, brown eyes and stands at 5”8’. He is a diabetic and requires regular medication.
Anyone with information about Kamalmaz is urged to call a local FBI office or the nearest American Embassy or Consulate.
According to the James W. Foley Legacy Foundation, there are more than 50 Americans being held hostage or wrongfully detained abroad. The foundation says there is a 580% increase in the number of Americans continued to be wrongfully held overseas in this decade compared to the previous decade.
