Human rights groups make joint appeal for Suleiman Khalil’s release from prison in Syria

In Defense of Christians and Christian Solidarity International have issued a joint statement on the one-year anniversary of Khalil’s detention

WASHINGTON, DC, UNITED STATES, February 9, 2026 /EINPresswire.com/ -- Today, the human rights groups In Defense of Christians (IDC) and Christian Solidarity International (CSI) issued a joint statement calling for the immediate release of Suleiman Khalil, the former mayor of the Christian-majority town of Sadad in Syria.

“Sunday, February 8, marks one year since Suleiman Khalil (born 1 January 1974) was detained by the Syrian Transitional Government,” the groups noted. “He has not been charged with any crime. He has not been allowed access to a lawyer or to any evidence concerning his case.”

According to IDC and CSI, there are grave concerns about Khalil’s treatment in detention. “Khalil is being held in the military section of Homs Central Prison,” they wrote. “His health has declined in detention. There is reason to believe he has been tortured. His family has been prevented from bringing him religious items, such as a cross necklace and a Bible.”

Khalil was elected mayor of Sadad in 2012, although he did not belong to the ruling Ba’ath party of Syria’s then-dictator, Bashar al-Assad. Jihadist groups attacked Sadad twice while he was mayor – in October 2013 and in November 2015. During the first attack, a rebel force led by the al Qaeda-linked group Jabhat al Nusra occupied the town for a week and killed 41 Christian civilians. When ISIS attacked the town in 2015, Khalil successfully organized the defense of the town.

The Assad regime, fearing Khalil’s growing popularity, organized his removal from office in 2016. On February 8, 2025, three months after the fall of the Assad regime, Khalil was detained at his home in Sadad by armed security forces from the new government.

In July, Suleiman’s daughter, Natalie, issued a public call for her father’s release at the UN Human Rights Council. In November, Natalie Khalil, a U.S. citizen, visited Washington DC to advocate for her father, meeting with Congressman Pete Aguilero, Congresswoman Kristen McDonald Rivet, USCIRF, and other human rights organizations.

A group of Swiss lawmakers has also publicly called for Khalil’s release.

“Khalil was instrumental in preventing his town’s fall to ISIS, and the likely massacre of its inhabitants,” IDC and CSI wrote. “Khalil is rightly viewed by his townspeople as a hero.”

Arguing that his detention without charge or access to a lawyer violates Syria’s new constitutional declaration, as well as international human rights law, the groups called Khalil’s case “a credibility test for the new Syrian government, and for the international community which has embraced it.”

“President Ahmed al-Sharaa and his officials have repeatedly promised that Christians will be safe in the new Syria,” the groups wrote. “The persecution of a Christian politician whose only discernable offense is defending his town against an ISIS attack indicates otherwise.”

IDC and CSI are calling for Khalil’s immediate release, and for the U.S. government to engage with the Syrian authorities on Khalil’s behalf.

CSI has also launched an online campaign for Suleiman Khalil’s freedom. Through this online platform, supporters are invited to send a message directly to the Syrian foreign ministry, urging the Syrian government to release Suleiman Khalil.

Joel Veldkamp
Christian Solidarity International
+41 44 982 33 10
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