The Syrian Future Movement mourns the passing of the veteran Syrian politician and human rights advocate, Professor Hassan Abdel Azim, General Coordinator of the National Coordination Body for Democratic Change, who died in Damascus at the age of 94, after a lifetime spent behind the scenes of Syrian politics.
The deceased was a landmark figure in the history of opposition activism from within the country. He remained steadfast in his political convictions for decades, from his founding of the Arab Socialist Democratic Union Party in 1964 to his pivotal role in the National Coordination Body during the years of the Syrian crisis.
Despite the fundamental differences in visions and political stances that have characterized our relationship with the “internal opposition” and its approach to public affairs, we in the Syrian Future Movement cannot but acknowledge and appreciate the man’s unwavering commitment to his legal and political principles and his remaining in Damascus throughout those complex circumstances. We affirm that the diversity of opinions and political orientations is an integral part of the national maturity we aspire to for the future of Syria.
We extend our deepest condolences to the family of the deceased and to his comrades in the Socialist Union Party, praying for mercy upon his soul and patience and solace for his family.