Center for Syriac Strategic Studies explores legal pathways for recognition and compensation of Sayfo Genocide

ZALIN, North and East Syria — Under the slogan “Deprivation of Justice: the Sayfo Genocide and Legal Pathways for Recognition and Compensation,” the Center for Syriac Strategic Studies (CSSS) organized a conference in the hall of the Chaldean Church in Zalin (Qamishli), North and East Syria. The event was attended by representatives from various Syriac (Aramean–Assyrian–Chaldean) political parties and institutions.

The conference covered several critical topics, including the legal framework for genocide recognition, the challenges in achieving recognition for the Sayfo, the Armenian experience in securing genocide acknowledgment, and recommendations for pursuing justice.

Kino Gabriel, an advisor at CSSS, emphasized in comments to Suroyo TV that the conference aimed to highlight the Sayfo and bringing focused attention to this issue from the community’s institutions. Gabriel also discussed the ongoing threat of repeated massacres, especially given the current instability in North and East Syria, Turkish threats, and increased Islamic State (ISIS) terrorist activities.

Georgette Barsomo, an official from the Syriac Women’s Union (SWU), reiterated that the issue of Sayfo recognition is a central focus of the Bethnahrin National Council’s (Mawtbo Umthoyo D’Bethnahrin, MUB) efforts. She stated that these conferences aim to boost the morale of the Syriac (Aramean–Assyrian–Chaldean) people and restore the strength lost during the massacres. Barsomo stressed that Turkey’s refusal to acknowledge the Sayfo perpetuates the policy of extermination. She affirmed that the Syriac (Aramean–Assyrian–Chaldean) community will continue to demand their rights and work towards recognition and compensation in all fields.