The daughter of a Syrian Christian leader who has been detained without formal charges since February 2025 has appealed to US officials to help secure his release.
Natalie Khalil made the appeal on 15 September as representatives of Christian advocacy organisations met with US administration officials and members of Congress to raise concerns about her father, Suleiman Khalil.
Khalil, a Syriac Orthodox Christian and former mayor of Sadad, helped organise the defence of the Christian town when it was attacked by Islamic State militants in 2015. Christian Solidarity International (CSI) says he has remained in detention since 8 February 2025 without being charged or given access to a lawyer.
"President Trump, please use your influence to bring my father home," Natalie said in a statement. "He is a father to me and my siblings, but because of his sacrifice and leadership, he is also a father and hero to our entire Christian village, Sadad."
The appeal came as In Defense of Christians (IDC) and CSI sought greater attention from Washington to religious freedom and the protection of Christians and other minority communities in Syria.
Richard Ghazal, IDC's executive director, described Khalil's detention as an important test of whether Syria's transitional authorities will provide equal legal protections to religious and ethnic communities.
"A man who risked his life to defend his town against ISIS should not languish in prison without charge," Ghazal said.
Khalil was arrested at his home in Sadad by security forces from Syria's transitional government. According to CSI, authorities initially presented an arrest warrant issued by a special prosecutor and searched his home for weapons. He was subsequently held in different detention facilities in Homs.
His daughter told EWTN News that the family has not been told what crime her father is accused of committing and that authorities prevented them from securing a lawyer for him.
"They came to our house and said, 'He was wanted,'" she said.
Khalil's role in defending Sadad against Islamic State forces in 2015 has been highlighted by supporters campaigning for his release. CSI says he organised local civilians to defend the town, helping prevent an attack that could have resulted in a massacre of its Christian population.
Joel Veldkamp, CSI's director for public advocacy, said the detention sends a troubling message to Christians who remain uncertain about their future in Syria. He also questioned how the transitional authorities' claims of cooperation against terrorism should be viewed alongside Khalil's continued detention.
Natalie said her family's limited visits to her father had also involved restrictions on their Christian identity. She told EWTN News that relatives were required to cover their heads and bodies, while her brother was asked to remove a cross necklace. She also said the family was not allowed to give Khalil a Bible.
CSI and IDC previously sent an open letter to Tom Barrack, the US special presidential envoy for Syria and Iraq, calling for Khalil's release or, at minimum, access to legal counsel, medical care, information about any charges and due process protections.
The organisations said Khalil's case should be considered in the wider context of religious freedom and the treatment of minorities under Syria's transitional government.
There has been no reported public response from Barrack to the letter. His office acknowledged receiving it and affirmed US support for the protection of Christians in Syria, according to Veldkamp.
CSI continues to campaign for Khalil's immediate release. The organisation says supporters can contact Syria's Foreign Ministry through its campaign on his case.
Syria was ranked sixth on Open Doors' 2026 World Watch List, compared with 18th the previous year, with the organisation citing increased violence as a major factor.
Based on reporting by Christian Daily International.
