Arraigned in murder of his daughter

A former Olympic boxer charged with the strangulation of his daughter — an activist for the rights of Muslim women — was arraigned on murder charges Tuesday and ordered held without bail, the Staten Island district attorney said.

Kabary Salem, 52, was extradited from Kuwait on Friday, ending a yearlong manhunt that started shortly after his daughter, Ola Salem, 25 (inset), was found strangled in Bloomingdale Park, a 138-acre park on the South Shore of Staten Island, the morning of Oct. 24, 2019.

Kabary Salem fled the country, possibly spending time in Egypt, authorities said — and even tried to throw investigators off his trail by telling The New York Times his daughter had complained to him that she was being tailed by another car on the highway. “I want to know what happened to her, what is the reason for that, but no one tells me,” he told the Times. “I am just waiting. She was a really good, beautiful girl.” The ruse didn’t work. Kabary Salem was indicted by a grand jury Nov. 3 and charged with murder, manslaughter, concealment of a human corpse and strangulation.

It’s unclear where the slaying took place; a source familiar with the investigation said Salem and his daughter had been in Pennsylvania, where he owns a restaurant. It’s believed after the slaying, the suspect drove to Staten Island.

There, according to the indictment and other court documents, Salem allegedly dragged his daughter’s body into Bloomingdale Park, covered her with branches and fled, returning to Pennsylvania before leaving the U.S.

“Throughout the course of this tragic case, we had never lost hope that the alleged killer would be arrested and charged,” Staten Island District Attorney Michael McMahon said. “We will continue to work tirelessly to hold this defendant accountable for the brutal act of violence he has been accused of committing against his own daughter.”

It’s unclear what sparked the violence. The DA’s office wouldn’t comment on a report that the father wasn’t happy with the man his daughter was dating.

A source who knew the daughter told the Daily News she was becoming more Westernized and didn’t want to wear her hijab.

“She was very outspoken,” the source said. “She wasn’t timid.”

“She was becoming Americanized,” the source said.