At UN, CSI condemns Syria’s continued detention of Suleiman Khalil

CSI made an oral statement about Suleiman Khalil at the UN in Geneva. csi

MEDIA RELEASE

Christian Solidarity International (CSI) has highlighted the continued detention of former Syrian mayor Suleiman Khalil in an intervention at the Human Rights Council in Geneva. The former mayor of the town of Sadad has been held by the Syrian transitional government without charge and without access to a lawyer since February 8, 2025 – over 13 months.

In an oral statement on March 12, CSI’s Joel Veldkamp pointed out that the Human Rights Council recently affirmed in resolution 60/8 that arbitrary detention is a violation of the right to liberty, and that arbitrarily detained persons are vulnerable to other human rights violations.

“Mr. Khalil’s arbitrary detention is not only a violation of international human rights law; it also violates Syria’s new constitutional declaration, which states in Article 18: ‘With the exception of the case of a crime committed in plain sight, no person may be arrested, detained, or have his freedom restricted, except by judicial order,’” Veldkamp said.

In Syria, Khalil is greatly admired for organizing Sadad’s defense against the Islamic State in 2015. His long opposition to the Ba’ath party and Assad’s dictatorship are well known. Christian Solidarity International has launched an international campaign for Khalil’s release.

“Christian Solidarity International urges the Syrian government to release Mr. Khalil immediately, and to take effective measures to end the arbitrary detention of its citizens,” said Veldkamp. “We also urge the Council and its members to intervene with the Syrian government on Mr. Khalil’s behalf.”