Massacres, Displacement, and Silence: The Struggle of Syria’s Minorities

#PartnerEvent

The Geneva press club invites you to a press conference with :

• Rawan Osman, Syrian-born German peace activist and entrepreneur; advocate for normalization with Israel and champion of the Abraham Accords as a foundation for a new Muslim identity and regional moderation.
• Dr. Mouna Ghanem, Spokeswoman of the Supreme Alawite Council; founder of the Women Forum for Peace; expert in women’s political empowerment and former senior UN official.
• Sheruan Hassan, Diplomatic advisor to the Autonomous Administration of North and East Syria; longtime advocate for Kurdish rights and democratic reforms.
• Mimi Hassan, First Yazidi woman appointed to a religious role; advocate for Yazidi women and displaced communities from Northeast Syria.
• Nawras Alsaghbini is a human rights activist and prominent content creator. Vocal since 2011, from Sweida, he has been exposing human rights abuses in Syria and advocating for justice. 
• Wael Mugrabi holds a Master’s degree in Political Science and Local Government Administration. Since 2018, he has served as Head of the Ein Qiniyye Local Council in the Golan.
• Joseph Lahdo is the Head of the Syrian Syriac Union Party, Europe Branch. He has also held senior positions in the Autonomous Administration of North and East Syria and has been active in cultural and political life for decades.

Moderator : Masoud Aqil, Kurdish human rights defender and minority rights expert. Founder of an educational NGO in Germany supporting Yazidi communities. Former ISIS hostage (held for 280 days) and journalist, now a lecturer at Volkshochschule VHS. Experienced in EU and UN advocacy, including Brussels and Geneva.

To participate, please register using the following links:

More than 13 years after the outbreak of war and amid an incomplete political transition, Syria’s minorities continue to endure massacres, displacement, and systemic discrimination. The collapse of the former regime and the emergence of fragile governance structures have left vulnerable communities exposed to renewed violence and marginalization.
 
Organized on the sidelines of the Human Rights Council, at a moment of intense diplomatic debate over Syria’s future, this press conference seeks to place the plight of minorities at the center of international attention. Prominent Syrian and international voices will highlight ongoing abuses and discuss pathways toward peace, stability, and inclusive governance.
 
The discussion will focus on the grave human rights violations faced by Syria’s Alawite, Druze, Yazidi, Christian, and Kurdish communities in the aftermath of regime change and ongoing instability. Speakers will present testimonies and documented evidence of mass killings, forced displacement, abductions, and systematic targeting of minorities. They will also debate frameworks for a new political order in Syria—one that prevents future cycles of violence and secures the rights and safety of minorities at the heart of reconstruction and democratic transition.
 
Conference Format

• Format: Live press conference with presentations, live tweets, and Q&A
• Duration: 90 minutes
• Languages: Arabic and English (with interpretation provided)
• Location: Attic Room, Geneva Press Club, Chemin de l’Impératrice 18, 1292 Pregny-Chambésy