Urgent need to protect religious minorities in Syria, following the recent terrorist attack on the Mar Elias church in Damascus

Amendments tabled for the plenary sitting on this text, in their own numbering series. This is a different set from the committee amendments tracked elsewhere on AmendEU, and is not counted in any of the site’s amendment totals.

1. Amendment 1RenewJoint motion for a resolution · Paragraph 5 a (new)
   Amendment

   5a. Encourages the Syrian transitional authorities to make progress on outstanding issues such as the restitution of religious property confiscated under the Assad regime;

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2. Amendment 2RenewJoint motion for a resolution · Paragraph 7
   Current text

   7. Calls for the Syrian transitional authorities, the EU and the Member States to advance efforts against Islamist terrorism, protect all Syrians and tackle the situation in the al-Hol and Roj camps; calls for Syria’s territorial integrity to be respected;

   Amendment

   7. Calls for the Syrian transitional authorities, the EU and the Member States, as well as the international partners of the Global Coalition against Daesh, to advance efforts against Islamist terrorism, protect all Syrians and tackle the situation in the al-Hol and Roj camps; warns against the serious international security risk that a sudden disengagement of the United States in the region would cause in this uncertain context; calls for Syria’s territorial integrity to be respected;

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3. Amendment 3PPEJoint motion for a resolution · Paragraph 5
   Current text

   5. Highlights the vulnerability of Christian communities in Syria;

   Amendment

   5. Highlights the vulnerability of Christian communities in Syria and the constant threats against worshippers, whose protection should be guaranteed by the authorities; highlights the great diversity within Syria’s confessional groups, as exemplified by the Greek Orthodox, Syriac Orthodox, the Armenian Apostolic, Chaldean and Maronite Churches; underlines the importance of preserving and cherishing their and other communities’ contributions to Syria’s religious and cultural heritage and calls for Syria’s new political architecture to be reflective of this diversity;

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4. Amendment 4Verts/ALEJoint motion for a resolution · Paragraph 5 a (new)
   Amendment

   5a. Highlights that recent attacks on ethnic and religious communities indicate, yet again, that conditions for the safe, voluntary and dignified return of Syrian refugees and asylum seekers to Syria are not being met;

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5. Amendment 5Verts/ALEJoint motion for a resolution · Paragraph 4
   Current text

   4. Reiterates the EU’s support, including through conditionally lifting sanctions, for a human rights-based political transition in Syria, with transitional justice, the fight against impunity, prohibiting arbitrary violence, inclusive governance and a People’s Assembly required for its success; calls for the EU to create a Syria reconstruction fund, conditional on demonstrable progress on these priorities and in coordination with relevant international institutions, to promote interfaith dialogue, conflict resolution and reconciliation; calls on the Commission to hold the Day of Dialogue Conference in Syria with Syrian civil society as soon as possible;

   Amendment

   4. Reiterates the EU’s support, including through conditionally lifting sanctions, for a human rights-based political transition in Syria, with transitional justice, the fight against impunity, prohibiting arbitrary violence, inclusive governance and a People’s Assembly required for its success; calls for the EU to create a Syria reconstruction fund, conditional on demonstrable progress on these priorities and in coordination with relevant international institutions, to promote interfaith dialogue, conflict resolution and reconciliation; calls on the Commission to hold the ‘Day of Dialogue Conference’ in Syria with Syrian civil society as soon as possible;

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6. Amendment 6The LeftJoint motion for a resolution · Paragraph 4
   Current text

   4. Reiterates the EU’s support, including through conditionally lifting sanctions, for a human rights-based political transition in Syria, with transitional justice, the fight against impunity, prohibiting arbitrary violence, inclusive governance and a People’s Assembly required for its success; calls for the EU to create a Syria reconstruction fund, conditional on demonstrable progress on these priorities and in coordination with relevant international institutions, to promote interfaith dialogue, conflict resolution and reconciliation; calls on the Commission to hold the Day of Dialogue Conference in Syria with Syrian civil society as soon as possible;

   Amendment

   4. Reiterates the EU’s support, also through the conditional lifting of sanctions, for a human rights-based political transition in Syria, with transitional justice, the fight against impunity, prohibiting arbitrary violence, respect for international law, a constitutional guarantee of inclusive governance and of adequate representation of religious and ethnic communities, and a People’s Assembly as prerequisites for its success; calls on the Syrian transitional authorities to present a specific timeline for organising credible, free, fair and inclusive elections; calls for the EU to set up a Syria Reconstruction Fund, conditional on demonstrable progress on these priorities and in coordinat…

   Excerpt — full text in the official PDF.
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7. Amendment 8PfEJoint motion for a resolution · Recital A a (new)
   Amendment

   Aa. whereas the Christian community now represents only 2 % to 3 % of the Syrian population, compared to 10 % in 2011 at the beginning of the conflict;

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8. Amendment 9PfEJoint motion for a resolution · Recital B
   Current text

   B. whereas a spree of widespread violence, including sexual violence, along the Syrian coast targeting the Alawite community began in March 2025 and is still ongoing, with over 1 200 civilian victims;

   Amendment

   B. whereas a spree of widespread violence, including sexual violence, along the Syrian coast targeting the Alawite community began in March 2025 and is still ongoing, with over 1 200 civilian victims; whereas Alawite women are victims of an alarming and growing trend of mass abductions and sexual slavery;

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9. Amendment 10PfEJoint motion for a resolution · Recital D a (new)
   Amendment

   Da. whereas the interim Syrian constitution ratified in March 2025 enshrines Islamic law as the primary source of legislation, raising concerns about restrictions on individual rights, particularly those of women; whereas in June 2025, the Syrian Ministry of Tourism enacted new restrictive legislation on women’s attire in line with Islamic teachings on female chastity;

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10. Amendment 11PfEJoint motion for a resolution · Paragraph 3 a (new)
    Amendment

    3a. Insists that the transitional Syrian government eradicate all elements of radical Islamist ideology from its government structures and future legal framework, including its constitution; rejects the imposition of restrictive dress codes on women;

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11. Amendment 12PfEJoint motion for a resolution · Paragraph 4 a (new)
    Amendment

    4a. Urges the Commission and the European External Action Service to include the protection of religious communities and the freedom of religion or belief in their dialogue with the transitional authorities in Syria;

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12. Amendment 13S&DJoint motion for a resolution · Paragraph 4
    Current text

    4. Reiterates the EU’s support, including through conditionally lifting sanctions, for a human rights-based political transition in Syria, with transitional justice, the fight against impunity, prohibiting arbitrary violence, inclusive governance and a People’s Assembly required for its success; calls for the EU to create a Syria reconstruction fund, conditional on demonstrable progress on these priorities and in coordination with relevant international institutions, to promote interfaith dialogue, conflict resolution and reconciliation; calls on the Commission to hold the Day of Dialogue Conference in Syria with Syrian civil society as soon as possible;

    Amendment

    4. Reiterates the EU’s support, including through conditionally lifting sanctions, for a human rights-based political transition in Syria, with transitional justice, the fight against impunity, prohibiting arbitrary violence, inclusive governance, a People’s Assembly, as well as respect for international law required for its success; calls for the EU to create a Syria reconstruction fund, conditional on demonstrable progress on these priorities and in coordination with relevant international institutions, to promote interfaith dialogue, conflict resolution and reconciliation; calls on the Commission to hold the Day of Dialogue Conference in Syria with Syrian civil society as soon as possible…

    Excerpt — full text in the official PDF.
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13. Amendment 14ECRJoint motion for a resolution · Paragraph 1
    Current text

    1. Strongly condemns the traumatic terrorist attack against the Mar Elias Church and all threats against worship sites, some historically significant; urges the Syrian authorities to improve safety measures and restore the Mar Elias Church;

    Amendment

    1. Strongly condemns the traumatic terrorist attack against the Mar Elias Church and all threats against worship sites, some historically significant; urges the Syrian authorities to improve safety measures and restore the Mar Elias Church; pays tribute to the memory of Jiries, Bishara and Boutros, who gave their lives trying to save the faithful of Mar Elias;

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14. Amendment 15ECRJoint motion for a resolution · Paragraph 2
    Current text

    2. Strongly condemns all attacks targeting religious and ethnic communities and acknowledges heightened fears among them, seven months into the political transition; expresses solidarity with all victims;

    Amendment

    2. Strongly condemns all attacks targeting religious and ethnic communities and acknowledges heightened fears among several of them, seven months into the political transition; expresses its solidarity with all victims; affirms that in order to stem the flow of migrants from Syria and enable the return of Syrian refugees, it is essential to restore security, stability and equality to Syrian society;

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15. Amendment 16ECRJoint motion for a resolution · Recital D a (new)
    Amendment

    Da. whereas although the transitional Syrian authorities have made assurances of protection and inclusion to religious communities, the recent developments fuel the climate of fear and call into question the transitional authorities’ capacity to duly protect religious communities;

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16. Amendment 17ECRJoint motion for a resolution · Paragraph 2 a (new)
    Amendment

    2a. Notes, with concern, that many Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) members with grave human rights violation records have assumed roles within the transitional administration, with potentially concerning implications for religious freedom, as evidenced by the recurrence of incidents involving Syrian officials;

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