Political parties in NE Syria demand accountability for plotters of Mar Elias Church attack

A total of 33 political parties, bodies, and forces issued a statement to the public today, denouncing the terrorist attack on Mar Elias Church in Damascus.

The statement opened by strongly condemning “the heinous terrorist attack that targeted Mar Elias Church in the Dweila neighborhood of Damascus on June 22, 2025, which resulted in dozens of martyrs and injured worshippers.”

It continued, stating that “this cowardly criminal act is a blatant violation of the sanctity of places of worship and human rights and contradicts the values of coexistence and civil peace sought by the Syrian people.”

The statement held “the transitional authority in Damascus fully responsible for this terrorist bombing due to its failure to confront the lawless armed groups that spread chaos and threaten the security of citizens.”

It also said, “this terrorist act is a continuation of identity-based killings witnessed on the Syrian coast in March 2025, during which thousands of civilians were killed in incidents described by human rights reports as ‘field executions and ethnic cleansing.’”

The statement emphasized that “this attack reflects a unilateral mindset that refuses to accept others and seeks to destroy Syria’s diverse social fabric. The failure to prevent ISIS from infiltrating the structure of the Syrian state, either through security negligence or the absence of a comprehensive anti-terrorism vision, has enabled these extremist groups to carry out their horrific crimes.”

It called for “holding those responsible for security within the transitional authority accountable, launching an immediate and transparent investigation to uncover the circumstances of the incident, and bringing the perpetrators to justice.” The statement also demanded the following actions to prevent such crimes from recurring:

Convening a comprehensive national conference that includes representatives of all Syrian communities (Muslims, Christians, Kurds, Alawites, Druze, and others) to promote national unity and develop a roadmap for the transitional phase, establishing a transitional governing body representing all components of the Syrian people, tasked with rebuilding state institutions based on justice and transparency, creating a transitional justice body to investigate human rights violations, including sectarian crimes and identity-based killings, ensuring accountability and restitution for victims, and drafting a permanent constitution that guarantees the rights of all Syrian communities, protects freedom of religion and belief, and promotes equal citizenship.

The statement noted that “targeting places of worship, as seen in the attack on Mar Elias Church, is not merely a crime against Christians—it is an assault on the cultural and religious diversity that defines Syria.”

It affirmed that “preserving this diversity requires joint efforts from all sides, including the transitional authority, to deter those responsible for violations and reinforce the values of tolerance and citizenship.”

It concluded with “deepest condolences to the families of the martyrs and wishes for a speedy recovery for the wounded,” expressing “full solidarity with the families of the victims and the Christian community in Damascus.”

Finally, the statement called on “international powers and human rights organizations to support the Syrian people in their pursuit of justice and stability and to ensure the protection of the rights of all its communities.

The Syrian people are united, and terrorism will not break their will.”

Signatories include:

1.Kurdistan National Congress (KNK)

2. Democratic Union Party

3. Democratic Green Party

4. Kurdistan Democratic Peace Party

5. Kurdish Liberal Party in Syria

6. Kurdish Communist Part

7. Kurdistan Democratic Party – Syria

8. Syrian Kurdish Democratic Party

9. Kurdish Left Party in Syria

10. Kurdish Leftist Democratic Party in Syria

11. Future Syria Party

12. Kurdistan Democratic Change Party

13. Kurdistan Renewal Movement

14. Kurdish Workers Union

15. Arab National Authority

16. Modernity and Democracy Party for Syria

17. Kurdish Democratic Reconciliation Party – Syria

18. Reform Movement – Syria

19. Assyrian Democratic Party

20. Brotherhood Party of Kurdistan

21. Roj Democratic Kurdish Party in Syria

22. Democratic Society Movement

23. Kongra Star

24. Syrian Homeland Party

25. Conservative Party

26. Democratic Struggle Party

27. Kurdistan Future Movement

28. Kurdistan Democratic Party – Western Kurdistan

29. Democratic Change Movement

30. Syriac Union Party

31. Kurdish National Gathering Party

32. Kurdish Democratic Party in Syria (Partî)

33. Kurdish Democratic Unity Party in Syria (Yekîtî)

34. Revolutionary Left Current in Syria

35. Suraya Democratic Party

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ANHA