ASIA/SYRIA - Syrian-Orthodox priest detained by Kurds is released

Friday, 20 February 2015

ASIA/SYRIA - Syrian-Orthodox priest detained by Kurds is released
Hassakè (Agenzia Fides) – Yesterday, Thursday 19 February, in the evening, the Syrian-Orthodox priest Gabriel Daoud, was released after having been detained on Monday 16 by Kurdish armed men connected with the PYD party (Kurd Party Democratic Union, Syrian section of the Pkk) together with other leaders of Syrian Christian associations. This was reported by local sources re-launched by the Iraqi news website ankawa.com. Of the group arrested, – more than a dozen – two are still being held, the others are free. Fr Gabriel had just returned from a transfer in Damascus, and had refused an offer of release for himself, while the other remained in custody.
The incident would appear to be connected with antagonism among the various different military and political Kurdish groups operating in the Syrian province of north-east Jazira. A situation complicated by the presence of small armed Syrian and Assyrian groups, they too divided among themselves, contending the exclusive use of the name Sotoro and siding partly with the government army and partly with the Kurd troops connected with the Pkk.
n January 2014 Syrian Kurds had taken a step towards the creation of an autonomous political entity in the north-east of the country, announcing the formation of an autonomous government comprising 20 ministers. In that self-proclaimed government group, three Syrian Christians had been enrolled as ministers. Even before this, Syrian Catholic Archbishop Behnam Hindo told Fides that autonomist drives of militant Kurd nature, could not be considered the expression of prevailing sentiments among the local Kurd population. (see Fides 11/10/2013). (GV) (Agenzia Fides 20/2/2015).


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