The Assyrian Democratic Party responds to British accusations of financing terrorism
Qamishli – North-Press Agency
The Democratic Assyrian Party in Syria has issued a statement refusing what the British newspaper “The Times” had reported about the accusation of the British police of the bishop of the Assyrian Church of the East Relief Organisation about financing ISIS.
The British Metropolitan police accused bishop Mar Afram Athneil, the chairman of the Assyrian Church of the East Relief Organisation (Acero) of financing ISIS when he paid the ransom ISIS wanted for releasing 230 Assyrian prisoners, who were kidnapped during ISIS attacks on the Assyrian villages in Tal Tamer in the western countryside of Hasakah in 2015.
In response to the accusations, the Democratic Assyrian Party in Syria has issued a statement, saying: “We couldn’t make sure regarding the validity of this investigation nor the report, in case of its confirmation, the party will solidarize with the bishop Mar Afram Athneil and the Assyrian (Acero) Organization”.
“Without their efforts and the loyal Assyrian people’s efforts, the kidnapped Assyrian would have been killed and slaughtered, as three of them were killed by ISIS before,” the statement continued.
“We will not accept any harm to the reputation of the bishop, nor the accusations by people who genuinely created ISIS and other similar terrorist groups and sent them to the Syrian territories to spread murder, destruction, and devastation,” the statement stressed.
“The one who was an executioner yesterday, cannot be a judge today,” the statement read.
The party assured in its statement: “We are well aware of the honesty of the bishop and the Assyrian (Acero) Organization, which had contributed to the liberation of children and women from death, and we will solidarize with them by all the possible means, we will not accept our people to be harmed, no matter of the results”.
As according to Assyrian official reports, the sum of amounts which were paid by the Assyrians for the release of the detainees was estimated at about five million dollars.