The European Parliament Strongly Condemns Human Rights Violation Against Religious and Ethnic Minorities in Syria
- Representation of ROC to the European Institutions
- Jul 11
- 2 min read
The European Parliament has strongly condemned the June 25, 2025 terrorist attack on the Mar Elias Church in Damascus, which targeted the Christian Orthodox community and killed 25 people. In response, MEPs adopted a resolution calling for urgent protection of religious minorities in Syria, accountability for the perpetrators, and stronger international cooperation to combat religious persecution and terrorism.
The European Parliament has strongly condemned the recent wave of violence targeting religious and ethnic communities in Syria, focusing particularly on the terrorist attack against the historic Mar Elias Church in Damascus this past June. The attack occurred on June 25, 2025, when a man with a rifle entered the Mar Elias Church, located in one of the city’s historically Christian neighborhoods, and detonated himself after opening fire on the Christians inside. The terrorist attack took place during a weekday liturgy, killing 25 people and injuring many others. The attack deliberately targeted the Christian Orthodox community, and it raises concerns over the safety of religious minorities in Syria.
In the context of the violent crime against the Christian community in Syria, the members of the European Parliament reunited, on 10 July, in a plenary session in which three emergency resolutions has been adopted, one of them strongly condemning the terrorist attack on the church in Mar Elias and thus, any violence against religious and ethnic minorities in Syria.
The MEPs voiced their solidarity with the victims and their families, and raised urgent concerns about the increasing threats to places of worship and religious freedom. The attack on Mar Elias shows the urgent need to protect religious minorities in Syria and the European Parliament has urged Syrian authorities to facilitate prompt, transparent, and independent investigations into the attacks and to take all necessary steps to end impunity, ensure accountability, and uphold the rights of all religious and ethnic communities. MEPs also reiterated the EU’s support for a political transition in Syria based on human rights, justice, and constitutional guarantees of inclusive governance. In addition, MEPs urged the Council to adopt more targeted sanctions against those responsible for violating religious freedoms. They stressed the need for continued cooperation between the Syrian authorities, the EU, and international partners in combating Islamist terrorism and ensuring the long-term security of all communities in Syria.
The Permanent Office of the Romanian Orthodox Church to the European Institutions salutes and warmly welcomes the response of the European Parliament to the terrorist attack against Syrian Christians, as it is a much-needed expression of solidarity and moral responsibility toward those who suffer and are the victims of history. The Permanent Office of the Romanian Orthodox Church to the European Institutions calls for higher international commitment and responsibility to raise awareness and take concrete actions in dealing with the horrors and sufferings produced by such terrorist attacks, armed conflicts, and full scaled wars, that take place on a daily basis.
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