April 22, 2026, marks 13 years since the two archbishops from Aleppo—Archbishop Gregorios Yohanna Ibrahim of the Syrian Orthodox Church and Archbishop Boulos Yazigi of the Greek Orthodox Church of Antioch—were kidnapped during the Syrian civil war. Although more than a decade has passed, their fate remains shrouded in mystery.
The Kidnapping
On April 22, 2013, the two bishops were on their way back to Aleppo after a humanitarian mission at the Bab al-Hawa border crossing between Turkey and Syria. They had attempted to negotiate the release of two priests—Father Michel Kayyal and Father Maher Mahfouz—who had been kidnapped earlier. Near the village of Kafr Dael, on the outskirts of Aleppo, their convoy was stopped by armed extremists. The bishops’ driver, Deacon Fattouh, was shot and killed on the spot. The two church leaders were taken away to an unknown location.
Thirteen years without an answer
Since that day, no credible information has emerged regarding the bishops’ fate. Over the years, there have been conflicting reports—ranging from claims that they were murdered as early as 2016 to reports that they were still being held captive. A journalistic investigation published in 2024 by L’Orient-Today claimed that the Assad regime was responsible for the kidnapping, with Yohanna Ibrahim as the primary target. Other investigations have pointed to the Islamist group Nur ad-Din al-Zenki. However, nothing has been confirmed.
On each anniversary, the Syrian Orthodox and Greek Orthodox Patriarchates of Antioch have issued joint statements and appealed to the international community for assistance.
A symbol of the suffering of Eastern Christians
Bishop Yohanna Ibrahim was a prominent bishop in the Syrian Orthodox Church and was considered a strong candidate for the patriarchate. Boulos Yazigi is the brother of the Greek Orthodox Patriarch of Antioch, Yohanna X. Their kidnapping has become a poignant symbol of the vulnerability of Christians in the Middle East.
The Middle East Council of Churches has designated April 22 as the “Ecumenical Day for the Abducted and Forcibly Disappeared” in memory of the two bishops
The Hope That Was Extinguished
When the Assad regime fell in December 2024 and rebel forces stormed prisons across Syria, new hope was kindled. Tens of thousands of prisoners were released from notorious facilities such as Sednaya Prison outside Damascus, and families flocked to the opened prisons in the hope of finding their missing loved ones. Many had been imprisoned for decades without trial. But Bishops Yohanna Ibrahim and Boulos Yazigi were not among those released—and no trace of them was found.
The fact that they did not reappear when the regime fell, prisons were opened, and cities like Aleppo and Homs were liberated has led more and more people to conclude that the bishops are most likely no longer alive. A journalistic investigation from 2020 already claimed that they had been murdered in 2016, and a report from 2024 suggested that the Assad regime itself was behind the kidnapping. Despite this, nothing has been definitively verified, and the churches have refused to officially declare them dead.
Thirteen years later, the question remains
What happened to the bishops from Aleppo?
