A dispute has erupted between Mayor Zohran Mamdani’s office and the NYPD over security arrangements for his wife, Rama Duwaji, during her planned trip to Syria and Lebanon.
Duwaji, a Syrian-American artist, is expected to travel to the region next month to visit family.
Both Syria and Lebanon currently carry Level 4 “Do Not Travel” advisories from the U.S. State Department because of serious security risks.
On Monday, Mamdani spokeswoman Dora Pekec said Duwaji would be accompanied by an NYPD security detail, saying it was being provided “upon the strong recommendation of the NYPD.”
The NYPD, however, quickly disputed the statement.
A department spokesperson said the NYPD does not send officers to countries under Level 4 travel advisories for discretionary trips unrelated to investigative work.
The department added that Duwaji’s trip is not an investigative assignment and that NYPD personnel would not be traveling with her.
The conflicting statements have raised questions about whether city resources were ever intended to be used for the private trip.
Mamdani later attributed the confusion to a miscommunication within his staff and said Duwaji would travel without NYPD protection.
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