The family of Majd Kamalmaz, an American doctor of Syrian origin, has filed a lawsuit against the Assad regime, accusing it of kidnapping, torturing, and killing Kamalmaz in one of its prisons. The lawsuit, filed in the US District Court in Washington, DC, seeks to hold the regime accountable for its alleged crimes. The announcement came on the heels of the arrest of former Assad regime official Samir Othman Al-Sheikh in the US for war crimes.
On Monday, July 22, the Syrian Emergency Task Force (SETF) announced the legal action. Kirby Behre, the lead attorney for Kamalmaz’s family, stated, “We have taken the first step toward holding the Assad regime accountable for its crimes against Majd Kamalmaz, which culminated in his death.” The family hopes to draw international attention to the regime’s atrocities and push for criminal charges against Syria by the US government.
The lawsuit seeks compensation for wrongful death, assault, battery, intentional infliction of emotional distress, and imprisonment under the “state sponsor of terrorism” exception in the Foreign Sovereign Immunities Act. The family is seeking $70 million in punitive damages.
Kamalmaz was detained at a regime checkpoint in Syria in February 2017. Born in Damascus, he moved to the United States at age six and spent most of his life there. He opened a psychiatric clinic in Lebanon to treat Syrians from all sides of the conflict. Despite his non-political stance, Kamalmaz was arrested and subsequently killed in the Assad regime’s detention facilities.
The US State Department confirmed Kamalmaz’s death on June 12, 2024, following intelligence information. The lawsuit claims Kamalmaz was unlawfully detained, falsely imprisoned, and subjected to inhuman treatment in notorious prisons, including the Mezzeh Military Airport. The family could receive compensation from the US Victims of State Sponsored Terrorism Fund if the court rules in their favor.
Maryam Kamalmaz, Majd’s daughter, expressed her determination to hold the regime accountable. “In his honor, we plan to hold the regime fully accountable for its crimes against Americans and Syrians alike,” she said.
In similar accountability efforts as the Paris Olympics approach, a campaign by Syrians has successfully barred Omar al-Aroub, a Syrian sports official accused of war crimes, from attending the games. Aroub, Vice President of the General Sports Federation and President of the Syrian Paralympic Committee, has been accused of committing crimes against Syrian students and participating in military operations against civilians.
An investigation by the Syrian-British Consortium revealed that the National Union of Syrian Students (NUSS), under Aroub’s leadership, committed torture and arrests between 2011 and 2013. The International Olympic Committee informed the Consortium that Aroub is not on the list of persons accredited for the Olympic and Paralympic Games.
The “For Syria” campaign, launched on June 20, 2024, called on the International Olympic Committee to prevent war criminals from the Assad regime from participating in the Olympics. The campaign highlighted Aroub’s involvement in suppressing student protests during the Syrian revolution and his orders to throw protesting students from university dormitory windows.
Activists and former NUSS members have criticized his participation and recalled his crimes against students. He stands accused of forming military groups at universities, known as the Baath Brigades, which were involved in violent crackdowns on protests. He continues to hold influential positions in Syrian sports organizations and has participated in various international sports events despite these accusations.
Heiko Maas, Germany’s Foreign Minister, emphasized the need for international cooperation to hold the Assad regime accountable for its war crimes. Maas stated, “The atrocities committed by the Assad regime cannot go unpunished. We must ensure that those responsible for these heinous crimes are brought to justice.”
Germany has been a vocal advocate for international legal action against the Assad regime. German officials have repeatedly called for the establishment of international tribunals and stronger enforcement of existing international laws to prosecute war crimes in Syria. In a statement to the Bundestag, Maas underscored Germany’s commitment to supporting victims of the Syrian conflict and pursuing justice on their behalf.
“Germany stands with the victims of the Assad regime and will continue to support efforts to achieve justice and accountability,” Maas said. “We call on our international partners to join us in this crucial endeavor to uphold human rights and the rule of law.”
