Concerns have been raised by refugee rights groups and German government officials regarding the potential compromise of sensitive information and the safety of Syrian political refugees by a woman alleged to have strong ties to the Assad regime and the Baath party.
At the center of the controversy is Amal Ezzo, a 56-year-old refugee who resettled in Germany in 2015. Despite her claims of seeking refuge due to threats from “Islamists” in Syria, recent revelations suggest a deeper involvement with the Assad regime.
Ezzo, currently working as a social worker and translator at a refugee center near the northern city of Titirov, has been actively engaged with various associations dedicated to migrant issues. However, her past affiliations with the Baath Party and reported ties to armed militias have raised serious concerns.
According to reports, as early as 2021, Ezzo held a prominent position within the Damascus branch of the Baath Party and was involved in activities supporting the regime, including overseeing the assignment of women to the Baath Brigades militia and supervising the establishment of training camps for Syrian students in Damascus.
Furthermore, Ezzo’s alleged involvement with the Al-Quds International Foundation, an organization under US sanctions and headed by Bashar al-Assad’s political advisor Buthaina Shaaban, has drawn scrutiny. Despite claims of resigning from her role in 2015, photographic evidence places her at meetings with high-ranking regime officials as recently as 2019.
These revelations have sparked fears that Ezzo may have access to sensitive information regarding Syrian refugees in Germany and could potentially pose a threat to their security and those of their families or friends in Syria. Refugee rights groups and government officials have voiced concerns about the safety of those seeking asylum from persecution under the Assad regime.
The German Foreign Ministry has described the human rights situation in Syria as catastrophic, with systematic persecution of opponents of the regime continuing unabated. The Syrian Network for Human Rights (SNHR) has documented extensive human rights abuses, including the deaths of over 200,000 civilians and the torture to death of over 10,000 in regime prisons with over 90,000 arrested whose fates are unknown.
In response to inquiries about Ezzo’s attendance at an event hosted by German Minister Reem Abli-Radovan, a spokeswoman for the minister stated that there was no prior knowledge of Ezzo’s previous affiliations. However, questions remain regarding how Ezzo’s past was not uncovered during the vetting process.
Amidst growing concerns, Malteser International, the organization overseeing Ezzo’s refugee assistance center, has pledged to conduct a thorough investigation into her past and any potential risks she may pose to refugees under her care.
