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On Sept. 2nd in the evening, Chorbishop Michel Naaman (pictured), vicar general of the Syriac Catholic Archdiocese of Homs, Hama and Al-Nabek, in Syria, was robbed at gunpoint outside his home in an incident that “nearly cost him his life”. His golden cross, keys, phone, and other items were stolen.
Asia News It reports that the clergyman lives in Zaidal, a predominantly Christian village about seven kilometres from the city of Homs. Local sources report that two masked men stopped him, claiming to be members of a militia calling itself "General Security”. They threatened him with weapons, stole his golden cross, along with other personal effects, and left him there after the attack.
Chorbishop Naaman said that he was surprised by the armed men when he arrived home. Pressed against a wall, he was threatened with a gun. Along with the cross, which he had had for more than 50 years, they took other personal effects, like his keys and phone, leaving him frightened and shaken.
He told them that he was a man of God, and did not carry weapons and would not resist. But for him, members of a security service do not act this way.
The Syriac Catholic priest suffered injuries to his shoulder after the attackers pushed him around. Not fearing for himself, he said that his thoughts were for the victims of similar attacks and that his survival was God’s will. He thanked the villagers and priests who helped him after the attack.
The Assyrian Human Rights Monitor was among the first to report and condemn this latest episode of anti-Christian violence in Syria, now ruled by Ahmed al-Sharaa and Hay'at Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), which took over after the sudden collapse of Bashar al-Assad's regime last December.
In a statement, the group writes that, “This painful incident – which could have cost him his life – is not merely an isolated crime, but rather a new link in an increasing chain of assaults targeting innocent citizens, shaking the security and stability of society.”
Father Michel Naaman was “terrorized under the guise of ‘security’,” which is not guaranteed to large sections of the Syrian population, from the Christian and Alawite minorities to the Druze.”
Statement issued by the Assyrian Observatory for Human Rights on the incident of assault on Khorbishop Michel Nouman in Homs, Syria
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The Assyrian Human Rights Observatory expresses its strong condemnation of the armed robbery incident carried out by Archbishop Michel Nauman, Deputy General Bishop of the Diocese of Homs and Hama Wal-Nabak of the Catholic Syrian, in front of his house in the Christian-majority village of Zidel. (7 km to the Syrian city of Homs) This violent incident — which could have been his life — is not just an individual crime, but a new episode in a growing series of incidents of assaults targeting innocent citizens, disrupting the security and stability of society.
The Khor-Bishop Nouman, on Tuesday evening, which falls on September 2, 2025, was threatened with a weapon by two contaminated people claiming to be security, denied his property, and intimidation under the guise of "security", emphasizes that there is a serious flaw in the security system. In light of this crime, we hold security agencies directly responsible for this incident, for two main reasons:
First: Deficiency in providing safety and security for citizens. It is the duty of the state to ensure the safety of its people and property, and to respond firmly to any criminal attempts, which has not been achieved in this case.
Secondly: The continued deployment of security elements to use gum and masks while dealing with citizens. Wearing masks creates fear and suspicion, provides a cover for the vulnerability of people committing crimes under the guise of power, which we have warned about, time and time again, increases citizens' sense of insecurity and puts back to mind the image of militias and radical organizations rather than the image of the state.
We at the Assyrian Human Rights Observatory emphasize the need to hold the perpetrators accountable, and demand the specialized security agencies to investigate this incident and bring the culprits to justice. We also call for strict and effective measures to stop these recurring criminal phenomena, and rebuild trust between citizens and security men.
Protecting human rights begins with ensuring their right to live in safety and dignity.
The Assyrian Observatory of Human Rights
September 3, 2025
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