The arrest of Pastor Nihad Hassan, pastor of the Kurdish Evangelical Church in Beirut, following his recent visit to the city of Afrin, has sparked a widespread wave of reactions amid the absence of an official announcement clarifying the legal basis for his arrest or the evidence relied upon by security authorities.
In this context, the “Afrin News 24” network reported that security authorities have not yet provided legal justifications or convincing evidence to justify the detention of Pastor Nihad Hassan. The network stated that certain media platforms affiliated with the Syrian government began, following the arrest, promoting allegations and claims unsupported by facts in an effort to grant media legitimacy to the detention and justify it to public opinion.
According to the network, the media campaign that followed the arrest aims to construct a justificatory narrative in the absence of documents or evidence proving the validity of the circulating claims. This, according to the network, raises concerns regarding the exploitation of media to justify security measures that lack transparency and due legal process.
Pastor Nihad Hassan hails from the village of Kourdan, located in the Jindires sub-district in the Afrin countryside. He had left the region years before the outbreak of the Syrian revolution to settle in Lebanon, where he served as pastor of the Kurdish Evangelical Church in Beirut. Circulating information indicates that his recent visit to Afrin was for family and social reasons before he was detained without an official announcement detailing clear legal grounds.
In a statement issued yesterday, Wednesday, the Kurdish Evangelical Church in Beirut announced the detention of Pastor Nihad Hassan in the city of Afrin over social media posts that authorities claimed were attributed to him.
The church added that Pastor Hassan is currently being held at the Afrin Central Civil Prison, and that his case file has been referred to judicial authorities in Aleppo, as confirmed by his lawyer.
The statement clarified that Pastor Nihad Hassan converted to Christianity and joined the Evangelical Church in 2008, contributing over past years to providing spiritual and humanitarian services to those in need in Lebanon, Syria, and other countries.
Furthermore, the church denied rumors circulating regarding the detention of Pastor Nihad Hassan’s wife, confirming that these reports are entirely incorrect.
The church demanded that Syrian authorities immediately release Pastor Hassan, calling on media outlets and social media users to ensure accuracy when publishing information related to the case, and confirming that its official page serves as the authorized source for any updates concerning him.
In conclusion, the statement called on churches and believers to pray for Pastor Nihad Hassan, citing the Scripture: “Peter was therefore kept in prison, but constant prayer was offered to God for him by the church” (Acts 12:5).
Widespread Reaction on Social Media
The arrest of Pastor Nihad Hassan generated widespread engagement across social media platforms, where activists circulated various accounts regarding the reasons for his detention. Among these was the claim that the arrest stemmed from past posts published on his Facebook account in 2019 containing criticism of Turkish-backed factions—information that has not been officially confirmed by authorities.
Activists, organizations, and religious and human rights figures also issued calls for his release, warning of the implications of the case on freedom of religion, belief, and expression in Syria. Meanwhile, some posts included appeals to humanitarian organizations and global churches to intervene and press for his release.
Other comments linked the case to the broader issue of public freedoms in Afrin, asserting that the arrest of a clergyman over his views or beliefs—if circulating accusations are true—raises serious concerns about the protection of fundamental rights and the rule of legal procedures, further heightening anxiety regarding freedom of belief and expression in the region.
To date, no detailed official clarifications have been issued by competent authorities regarding the charges brought against Pastor Nihad Hassan or the evidence upon which his detention was based.
Note: This text is translated from the original Arabic version… Read the Arabic version:Click here
