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MOTION FOR A RESOLUTION (2025/2798(RSP))

On urgent need to protect religious minorities in Syria following the recent terrorist attack on Mar Elias Church in Damascus

B-10-2025-0345

on behalf of the ECR Group · Rapporteur: Adam Bielan, Bert-Jan Ruissen, Aurelijus Veryga, Carlo Fidanza, Marlena Maląg, Joachim Stanisław Brudziński, Sebastian Tynkkynen, Bogdan Rzońca, Arkadiusz Mularczyk, Alexandr Vondra, Reinis Pozņaks, Ondřej Krutílek, Veronika Vrecionová, Emmanouil Fragkos, Ivaylo Valchev, Małgorzata Gosiewska, Guillaume Peltier, Alberico Gambino, Marion Maréchal, Nicolas Bay, Laurence Trochu, Anna Zalewska, Assita Kanko, Waldemar Tomaszewski

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✦ In short · AI summary of this text, generated 6 Sept 2026

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The resolution condemns terrorist attacks and violence against religious minorities in Syria, including Christians, Alawites, and Druze, and calls for protection, investigations, and accountability. It urges the caretaker authorities to ensure safety, equality, and freedom for all religious minorities, and calls on the EU to condition sanctions on improvements in religious freedom.

Key points

  1. Strongly condemns the terrorist attack on Mar Elias Church, mass killings, violence against Christians, Alawites, and Druze, and abduction of Alawite women.
  2. Notes concern that HTS members with human rights violations records have roles in the interim administration, affecting religious freedom.
  3. Calls on caretaker authorities to rein in violent factions, ensure prompt investigations, hold perpetrators accountable, and base security appointments on professional qualifications.
  4. Urges caretaker authorities to ensure safety, equality, and freedom for religious minorities, ban discriminatory practices, and protect cultural heritage sites.
  5. Calls on the Council to maintain and impose additional targeted sanctions on Syrian entities responsible for religious freedom violations.
  6. Calls on the EU to condition lifting sanctions on improvements in religious freedom and monitor Syrian authorities' actions.

Who is affected

  • Religious minorities in Syria, including Christians, Alawites, and Druze, who face violence and discrimination.
  • Syrian caretaker authorities, who are urged to protect minorities and reform security forces.
  • EU institutions and member states, called on to adjust sanctions policy.

Figures and deadlines

  • over 25 killed and about 60 wounded in the attack on Mar Elias Church
  • at least 134 people killed in violence against Druze since April
  • over 1700 casualties in retaliatory attacks in March
  • close to 90 Alawite women abducted since January