SUDDEN PASSING OF AMAR BAGHDASH – GLORY TO YOU, DEAR FRIEND!

It is with great sorrow that we have received the news of the sudden death of the General Secretary of the Syrian Communist Party, Comrade Amar Baghdash, who passed away at the age of 70.

Comrade Baghdash was an unwavering revolutionary, a Marxist-Leninist, a great patriot, a humanist, and an internationalist. His energetic dedication to the cause of international working-class solidarity, the struggle against imperialism and especially against Zionism, and his presence in delegations of his party — and earlier, the Communist Youth of Syria — at dozens of international gatherings, made him a prominent figure of the contemporary communist movement.

Comrade Baghdash came from a family of revolutionaries: his father Khalid Baghdash was the legendary, long-time leader of the Syrian communists, while his mother Wisal also played a significant role in the Syrian communist movement, which has been historically large and influential in Syria and the wider region.

Comrade Amar received his education in the Soviet Union and spoke Russian fluently in addition to his native Arabic and French; the USSR was like a second homeland to him.

Delegations from our party had the opportunity not only to meet with Comrade Baghdash on several occasions but also to develop a sincere friendship. This bond was initiated by our founder and leader, Comrade Branko Kitanović, who was part of our party’s delegation that attended the Congress of the Syrian Communist Party in Damascus in the early 1990s. Many later encounters at international gatherings always included bilateral meetings with our friends from Syria, and our positions and views on major political issues were consistently aligned.

It should be emphasized that Comrade Baghdash had exceptional knowledge about our country, its history, and related topics, and he was always keenly interested in developments in the Balkans. Our comrades from Syria expressed great solidarity with our people against the destruction of Yugoslavia, condemned the secessionism fueled by imperialist interests, strongly supported our country and the noble struggle we waged during the NATO aggression, and fiercely condemned the illegal seizure of Kosovo and Metohija, signing numerous resolutions denouncing this shameful act. Comrade Amar personally contributed to all of this, and thus he will remain forever remembered among the communists of our country.

Sadly, the tragic situation struck Syria this past winter when jihadists, with the help of Western imperialism, overthrew President Assad and carried out terror against all dissenters. The communists of Syria were also targeted: the party was banned, and its property confiscated. Comrade Baghdash, who served as a Member of the Syrian Parliament until last year, was forced to leave the country and find refuge in Athens, where he passed away.

May eternal glory be upon Comrade Amar Baghdash!

Long live the Syrian Communist Party!

Long live the international solidarity of the working class!

As Comrade Baghdash himself used to say: “No matter how great the hardships, the flag of Marxism flew and will continue to fly over the skies of Syria!”

Secretariat of the New Communist Party of Yugoslavia
Belgrade,
July 14, 2025