Statement on False Reports of a Meeting with Representatives of Syria’s Interim Government

The Alawite Association in the United States (AAUS) categorically denies that its president or any board member met with Mohammed Qanatri, the Syrian interim government’s chargé d’affaires in Washington.

The individual named in these reports has no affiliation with AAUS, is not a member, and has no authority to represent it or speak on its behalf. Attributing this meeting to AAUS, its leadership, or any member is false. Participants’ statements reflect only their own views and those of the organizations they represent.

In Syria, prisons remain filled with people held without trial, judicial case files, or official detention records, and without constitutional protections or guarantees of their right to a defense. Killings on the basis of identity, abductions, and restrictions on freedom of thought and religion continue daily and systematically. Syrian authorities should uphold the lifted sanctions conditions passed by the U.S. Congress to take clear, verifiable action to protect people and uphold their rights.

We urge the authorities to take concrete steps to secure Syrians’ constitutional rights and demonstrate a genuine commitment to a transition toward constitutional government. Good governance requires the voice of all people alongside transparency and oversight.

We urge the interim Syrian government to guarantee equal rights and responsibilities and protect civil liberties and individual freedoms, including freedom of thought, belief, and religious practice. Elected bodies should reflect the freely expressed will of the Syrian people in all their diversity. Separation of powers, judicial independence, and the rule of law must be upheld.

AAUS will continue its peaceful advocacy, to defend the rights of Alawites and all Syrians. We urge the interim Syrian authorities to protect equal citizenship, liberty, dignity, and equal political participation.

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For further information or media inquiries, please contact:

Alawites Association of the United States

Dr. Morhaf Ibrahim, President of AAUS

Email: info@AlawitesAssociation.org

Phone: 202.599.4459

Website: www.alawitesassociation.com