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Arrest of Pastor Nihad Hassan, Pastor of the Kurdish Evangelical Church
On Monday, July 20, 2026, Pastor Nihad Hassan was detained by Syrian security forces over posts attributed to him on social media.
Pastor Nihad Hassan is the pastor of the Kurdish Evangelical Church in Beirut. He is currently held in Afrin Central Civil Prison after his case files were referred to the judicial authorities in Aleppo, reportedly over social media posts attributed to him.
According to media reports, Pastor Nihad Hassan is originally from the village of Kurdan in the Jindires subdistrict of the Afrin region, Aleppo governorate. He converted to Christianity and entered evangelical ministry in 2008, and is known for his pastoral work and for providing spiritual care and humanitarian aid to the needy and displaced in Syria, Lebanon and several other countries.
Human rights organizations have called for his release, and sources denied reports claiming his wife or any of his family members were arrested.
