Some people are constantly trying to strike a blow against the KKE, even resorting to dirty and unethical means in the process. The spokesperson for the non-existent “Collective Struggle for the Revolutionary Unification of Humanity” (D. Patelis), which never had and still has no ties to the working class and the popular forces of our country, launched yet another provocative attack, which was reproduced by other groups of the so-called “World Anti-Imperialist Platform”.

The following comment, published in the daily newspaper Rizospastis, the organ of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of Greece, responds to the provocateurs:

“Notorious provocateur Patelis, acting on orders, is once again attempting to slander the KKE. In a new Internet rant, he believes he can achieve his goal, this time by taking advantage of the sudden passing of comrade Ammar Bagdache, General Secretary of the Syrian Communist Party, and asking the insidious question, ‘What did the KKE do to support the sister Communist Party of Syria and protect the life of its Secretary?’.

The KKE has long-standing comradely and internationalist relations with the Syrian Communist Party. It maintained regular contact with Comrade Bagdache, and developed joint actions on issues concerning the international communist movement.

And it couldn’t be otherwise. At an anti-imperialist rally of the party at the Sporting Stadium in Athens in 2015, comrade Ammar Bagdache himself emphasized this when speaking about the KKE: ‘The stable party of principles, the glorious Party that holds the Red Flag high in the sky of glorious Greece, the flag of Marxism-Leninism, the flag of the bright socialist future for the Greek people and the peoples of the whole world. The Red Flag symbolizes proletarian internationalism and the militant solidarity of the proletariat worldwide against capitalist tyranny. The glorious KKE proves its devotion to these ideals day after day.’

The KKE has supported the struggle of the Syrian communists and people in every difficult period, opposing imperialist interventions and attacks by the US, NATO, the EU and Israel. Our party has also strongly condemned the recent imperialist intervention that led to the overthrow of Assad and the establishment of the jihadist regime.

Based on these fraternal and internationalist relations, the KKE hosted comrade Bagdache from the moment he arrived in Athens, following the jihadists’ takeover. The KKE ensured the best possible conditions for his stay, and supported him in every way, thereby further strengthening the comradely relations that he held in such high esteem.

The ΚΚΕ maintained daily contact with him to address any issues that arose. We exchanged views on international developments and the situation in Syria, and expressed our practical and unwavering solidarity with the struggle of the Syrian Communist Party under conditions of illegality.

With faith and dedication to its internationalist duty, the KKE stood by comrade Bagdache’s side, supporting him politically and legally in his quest for obtaining political asylum. Thanks to these efforts, our comrade obtained an asylum seeker’s card  in a short period of time, and gave his first interview on the matter. A second interview was scheduled for the coming days.

The comradely relations that have been built up over the years with the Syrian Communist Party and comrade Ammar Bagdache, under difficult conditions, will continue and no provocateur will be able to disrupt them.”

16/07/25

In a statement regarding the sudden passing of Ammar Bagdache, GS of the CC of the Syrian Communist Party, the CC of the KKE emphasizes the following:

“The Central Committee of the Communist Party of Greece announces with sadness the sudden passing of comrade Ammar Bagdache, General Secretary of the Central Committee of the Syrian Communist Party, who was in Athens, persecuted by the criminal regime of the jihadists in Syria.

Comrade Ammar Bagdache was born in Damascus on 16 August 1954, and was the son of communist leaders Khaled and Wissal Bagdache. He joined the Syrian Communist Party in 1969, studied in Moscow, and obtained a Master’s degree in Economic Planning from Plekhanov University. He completed his higher education at the School of Economics of the State University in Moscow (Lomonosov), where he received a doctorate in economic sciences in 1983.

Returning to Syria in 1984, he became actively involved in politics, taking on important party duties, including Secretary of the Syrian Democratic Youth Union from 1986 to 1992.

He was elected to the Central Committee of the Syrian Communist Party at its 7^th Congress in 1990, and to the Political Bureau in 1992. In 1993, he was elected to the Central Secretariat. In 2003, he was elected to the Syrian parliament, where he served until June 2024.

At the 11^th party congress in 2010, he was elected General Secretary of the Central Committee, a position he retained after being re-elected at both the 12^th congress and the 13^th congress,  convened in autumn 2023.

On 8 December 2024, with Syria under jihadist control, a campaign of persecution and massacres of political opponents and ethnic and religious minorities began. Comrade Bagdache became a target of the jihadists and, together with his family, found refuge in Athens thanks to the high level of internationalist solidarity between the Syrian Communist Party and the KKE. On 29 January, 2025, the Damascus authorities announced the dissolution of the Syrian Communist Party and the confiscation of its assets, escalating the persecution.

Comrade Ammar Bagdache, a communist leader and internationalist, took part in dozens of meetings of Communist and Workers’ parties, making a decisive contribution to the development of the joint struggle of the peoples in the Arab countries and internationally. We will always remember him.

The CC of the KKE offers its sincere condolences to the CC of the Syrian Communist Party, our comrades, his family and all communists in Syria”.

13.07.2025