On Sunday, April 6, 2025, George Church, located in Bloudan city in western Rural Damascus governorate, was desecrated by unidentified individuals. The assailants bombed the church and tried to set it on fire, which resulted in limited material damage, with no human casualties reported. The area is under the control of the current transitional authorities in Syria
According to information obtained from reliable local sources, the assailants poured gasoline inside the church premises through one of the windows and set it on fire. They also threw two hand grenades without removing their safety pins, which led to a minor fire breaking out around the external window area, without spreading inside the church. Local residents managed to contain and control the fire before it caused extensive damage. The Syrian Network for Human Rights (SNHR) is still collecting eyewitness accounts to further document the incident.
SNHR strongly condemns this attack and affirms that targeting places of worship constitutes a serious violation of international human rights law, particularly Article 18 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR), which guarantees the right to freedom of religion and belief and, by extension, the protection of places designated for religious practices. The attack also violates United Nations General Assembly Resolution 75/258 on promoting a culture of peace and tolerance to safeguard religious sites, which calls on states to take effective measures to protect these sites from any attacks.
In this context, the SNHR calls on the transitional government to fulfill its legal and ethical obligations under national laws and international human rights standards, including ensuring the protection of religious sites and religious minorities. It also urges the government to act promptly by opening a professional and transparent investigation into the incident, revealing the identity of the perpetrators, and holding them accountable in accordance with standards of criminal justice. Furthermore, SNHR calls for the adoption of sustainable preventive measures, including enhancing security measures around religious and cultural sites, to ensure the safety of civilians and to uphold religious and cultural diversity in Syria.
