The Assyrian Democratic Organization
16-07-2019
Assyrian Democratic Organization ADO released a statement concerning” freezing the Assets of ACERO charity organization” on the grounds of aiding terrorism. Based on a report in Times Newspaper of London some newspapers and social media outlets published information regarding freezing the assets of an Assyrian Charity Organization that belongs to the Assyrian Church of the East accusing the later of using its assets to pay ransom to Da’ish (ISIS) to free 300 members of the church in February 2017 who were mostly children, women and elderly men. 1- The whole subject or issue is without bases and it is just a hoax. The preliminary investigation is still on- going and the freezing of assets is not an outcome of conviction of the said organization of the crime accused of, rather it’s the process of the investigation. The ADO implores all people and media outlets to be prudent when transmitting such news or information. 2- The Church of the East never made a statement stating it has paid ransom to free kidnaped members of the church. What is circulated in the media is based on false expectations and biased information. What was stated in the financial report as “kidnapped Iraqis” does not constitute a ground to accuse ACERO. It merely refers to the financial help the kidnapped and their families received from the organization after they were freed; bare in mind that their homes were burned and destroyed by the terrorist. 3- The strenuous and long negotiation carried out by his holiness Mor Afram Athaneil bishop of the Church of the East was conducted through local mediators and no direct negotiation was carried out with the terrorists. For that reason, no one should accuse any Christian clerk of communicating with Da’ish, therefor, the ADO strongly emphasize that his holiness Mor Afram is an important figure and has a great prestige and respect among our Assyrian people in Syria and elsewhere. He is a good Sheppard who stayed beside his flock and church during difficult times in facing the forces of evil. He did the impossible, in order, to secure the freedom of his parishioners who were kidnapped by Da’ish. Among the kidnapped were more than100 women and 50 children. He deserves a great admiration along with those who stood beside him in those perilous time. The Syrian conflict is marred with violence, killing and kidnaping; among the victims are Syrian, Arabs and foreigners. Several nations have intervened to save their kidnapped citizens from Da’ish by offering to pay ransoms. That been said, is it possible to accuse those nations with terrorism when they were merely trying to save their people from imminent death? We direct this question to the legal system in Great Britain who is looking into this case.
ADO, Media office.
Syria 15 July 2019.
