‘SOS Chretiens d'Orient’: Unraveling its Controversial Ties to Syria

With the collapse of Bashar al-Assad's regime, revelations have begun to surface about international organizations that operated under its cover, donning the guise of humanitarian and relief work while supporting the brutality and aggression against the Syrian people.

One such organization is ‘SOS Chretiens d'Orient’ (SOS Christians of the East), a French group that began withdrawing its French staff following the regime's fall on December 8, 2024.

According to Intelligence Online, “SOS Chretiens d'Orient exfiltrates its French volunteers from Syria” out of fear they may fall into the hands of the Syrian opposition forces, who have taken control of the government.

So, what is this organization, how was it founded, what are its goals and scope of operations, and what is its connection to al-Assad family?

The Last Days

“The French NGO, close to military circles and the pro-Syrian hard-right, was on good terms with the regime of Bashar al-Assad,” as revealed by Intelligence Online.

The organization maintained strong relationships with senior officers of the regime until it was ultimately forced to leverage all of its security contacts to evacuate its French staff from Syria.

SOS Chretiens d'Orient evacuated five French volunteers from Aleppo and Damascus to Lebanon, a move made late on November 30, 2024, coinciding with the seizure of Aleppo by Hayat Tahrir al-Sham and other Syrian opposition forces.

The French magazine noted that the situation for the organization had become increasingly complicated, particularly for its local employees—about 15 people spread across Aleppo, Homs, and Damascus—many of whom hesitated to flee or remained close to Christian villages.

It is worth noting that, upon their victory and entry into the liberated provinces, the Syrian opposition armed forces assured the safety of minorities and religious groups, guaranteeing the protection of their lives and property.

Far-Right Extremist

In search of solutions within Syria to navigate the predicament following the victory of Syrian opposition forces, Francois Xavier Gicquel, the operations manager of SOS Chretiens d'Orient, turned to his powerful networks in the defense and security sectors.

Gicquel had previously worked with the far-right French National Front (later rebranded as the National Rally).

Through these connections, Gicquel managed to secure 10 seats on a United Nations safety and security bus for the organization's staff and their families to leave Aleppo.

However, after much hesitation, the bus never left the city, and two staff members remained stranded there.

As for the local employees in Damascus, as well as those from Homs who had made their way to the capital, they sought help from Lebanon's Ministry of Social Affairs, with which the organization maintained strong ties.

These staff members hoped to obtain Lebanese visas to seek refuge across the border. Ultimately, none of them chose this path.

By then, it was too late. Damascus had fallen, and most of the local employees chose to return to their hometowns.

Asma al-Assad's Connections

Intelligence Online reported that the Christian organization, which supported al-Assad’s regime and had close ties to the far-right in France, never considered turning to the regime forces as a means of salvation, especially as they retreated in the face of attacks by Hayat Tahrir al-Sham.

Nor did it seek assistance from The Syria Trust for Development, headed by Asma, the wife of Bashar al-Assad, who had worked closely with her husband under the previous regime.

The organization had long been closely tied to the fund, which Asma officially chaired since its establishment in 2001, but it is now inactive.

For many years, the fund was an indispensable channel for humanitarian organizations in Syria, including SOS Chretiens d'Orient, and even United Nations agencies.

Now, Asma al-Assad has fled to Moscow with her ousted husband, while the mysteries and secrets surrounding the documents and financial dealings between her and the French organization remain unresolved. 

The organization, meanwhile, seeks to carve out a new role in the current context.

In May 2019, "Benjamin Blanchard," the deputy director of the organization, appointed Syrian Fadi Farah, one of its founders and a former employee of The Syria Trust for Development for over eight years, as the financial and administrative director of SOS. 

Farah had relocated to France to continue his studies at the Sorbonne.

In a letter obtained by Intelligence Online, Shadi al-Alshi, the administrative director of The Syria Trust for Development, “proclaimed the closure of the body” and pledged to work on establishing a new institution to invest in the potential of its teams.

While al-Assad remains under European and U.S. sanctions, al-Alshi presented his new loyalties as a "free Syrian," eager to play a key role in reconstruction efforts.

SOS Chretiens d'Orient confirmed that its employees and beneficiaries, all from Syria's Christian and Alawite minorities—groups traditionally seen as loyal to al-Assad’s regime—had not received any threats, especially as Syrian opposition forces had cautioned against any acts of retaliation.

Supporter of Terrorism

In relation to its dubious operations, SOS Chretiens d'Orient was subjected to an initial investigation in 2022 by the French public prosecutor for anti-terrorism, due to its close ties with al-Assad’s regime.

The organization was officially registered with the Regional Directorate of Judicial Police in Paris on October 16, 2013.

The organization’s headquarters was initially located at 5 Canal Street in the 15th arrondissement of Paris, before expanding and receiving significant funding and donations, prompting a move to 16 Troudine Street in the more upscale 9th arrondissement.

According to Al-Estiklal, Le Monde detailed the nature of the donations received by SOS, revealing that, two years after its founding, the organization had an annual budget of €3.5 million and received donations totaling up to €8 million.

According to the organization's official website, SOS Chretiens d'Orient is currently headed by Charles de Meyer, with a membership of 60,000 individuals and a staff of around 2,500. 

The organization operates four permanent missions in Syria, Egypt, Lebanon, and Iraq, and has activities in Jordan. 

It has intermittently intervened in Pakistan, Ethiopia, and Ukraine.

The organization was founded after the Battle of Maaloula in September 2013, a conflict between regime forces and Syrian opposition forces.

The battle saw the participation of factions from the Free Syrian Army (FSA), al-Nusra Front, and Hayat Tahrir al-Sham. 

Maaloula is a Syrian village with a predominantly Christian Aramaic-speaking population, some of whom speak French.

According to Le Figaro, the organization's activists, Charles de Meyer and Benjamin Blanchard, traveled to Syria to provide food aid, medicines, and toys.

During their second trip in December 2013, coinciding with Christmas celebrations, and after a photo session distributing toys at an orphanage, some French volunteers met the SOS representative in Syria, George Chaoui. 

The French volunteers attempted to join the regime forces.

In this way, certain far-right activists used SOS as a route to Syria, aiming to enlist in the regime forces. One such individual was Mikael Takahashi, who failed in his attempt and later joined pro-Russian militias in Donbas in 2014.

SOS Activities

According to France 24, the organization expanded its activities on January 26, 2020, by sending volunteers, particularly to Iraq and Syria, under the guise of helping Christian minorities.

The organization states on its website that it supports the preservation of spiritual life by restoring damaged churches and enhancing education for Christian youth through the construction of schools and the organization of activities.

In February 2017, the organization was granted the title of "partner of national defense" by the French Ministry of Defense, Jean-Yves Le Drian according to Liberation.

The newspaper criticized this decision as surprising and raised questions about the organization's efforts to gain respect through its communication strategies with the Ministry of Defense, despite its questionable role in Syria due to its support for al-Assad.

As a result, the Ministry of Defense decided not to renew the partnership in 2020.

Due to the organization's suspicious activities, it faced numerous troubles and obstacles. 

On January 20, 2020, four of its employees—three French nationals and one Iraqi—disappeared in Baghdad.

At the time, the organization's communications director, Pierre-Alexandre Boucle, stated that the details of the hostages' identities could not be revealed for security reasons.

It later emerged that the kidnappers were from a Shiite militia with links to powerful factions in Iraq and Iran, who were suspicious of SOS’s field and intelligence activities on behalf of France.

On March 26, 2020, France announced the withdrawal of its forces participating in Operation Chammal from Iraq, and the following day, the four employees were released.