Communist parties pay tribute to Syrian Communist leader Ammar Bagdache

Image via the KKE

Comrade Ammar Bagdache was a prominent Syrian communist leader and economist who served as General Secretary of the Central Committee of the Syrian Communist Party. Sadly he died suddenly in Athens in early July. Born in Damascus in 1954 to a family of revolutionary figures—his father Khaled Bagdache was a legendary party founder—he joined the party in 1969 and studied in Moscow, earning a doctorate in economic sciences.

Throughout his career, Bagdache held key roles in both the party and Syrian parliament, where he served until 2024. He was known for his steadfast commitment to Marxism-Leninism, international solidarity, and resistance against imperialism. After the fall of the Assad regime and the rise of jihadist control in Syria, Bagdache and his family fled to Athens, where he continued his political work in exile.

His death is being mourned by communist parties worldwide, with tributes highlighting his courage, leadership, and lifelong dedication to the working class. Here are statements from the Communist parties of Switzerland, Greece, Mexico and India

In memory of comrade Amar Bagdache, general secretary of the Syrian Communist Party

The Communist Party (Switzerland) has learned with sadness of the sudden death of Comrade Amar Bagdache, General Secretary of the Central Committee of the Syrian Communist Party, who was in Athens after having had to flee his country to escape the repression of the despotic coup regime that seized power with the complicity of the US and EU last December.

Comrade Amar Bagdache was born in Damascus to a family of Kurdish origin on 16 August 1954, son of the historic communist leader Khaled Bagdache, and had been a Party militant since 1969. He then moved to Moscow where, after earning a master's degree in economic planning from Plekhanov University, he obtained a doctorate in economics from Lomonosov State University. After his studies, he returned to Syria in 1984 and devoted himself completely to politics and the socialist cause.

In 1986, he was elected general secretary of the Syrian Democratic Youth Union and in 1990 he became a member of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of Syria (SCP), of which he became general secretary in 2010. In 2003, he was also elected as a member of the Syrian parliament, but following the pro-Western coup d'état of December 2024, the SCP was declared illegal along with all left-wing parties and numerous Syrian patriots and members of ethnic and religious minorities were assassinated. To escape such persecution, Comrade Bagdache managed to flee to Athens where he died today of a heart attack.

We remember him for his tenacious fight in favour of secularism and the sovereignty of the nation-state represented by the Syrian Arab Republic, whose territorial integrity was essential to him: despite being of Kurdish origin, he never defended Rojava, but unmasked the pro-imperialist role of ethnic separatism. Comrade Bagdache was also one of the most influential Marxist-Leninist leaders in the Arab world and committed himself, coherent with his internationalist vision, to the unity of the Arab peoples against imperialism and Zionism.

As Swiss communists, we remember with emotion the bilateral meetings of October 2011 and summer 2018, his friendship and his communist consistency, and we express our most sincere condolences to his family members and to the Central Committee of the Syrian Communist Party (which acts courageously today secretly to free the Syrian people from terror).

Central Committee of the KKE: Statement on the sudden passing of comrade Ammar Bagdache, General Secretary of the Central Committee of the Syrian Communist Party:

In a statement regarding the sudden passing of Ammar Bagdache, GS of the CC of the Syrian Communist Party, the Central Committee of the Communist Party of Greece (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 7th 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 11th party congress in 2010, he was elected General Secretary of the Central Committee, a position he retained after being re-elected at both the 12th congress and the 13th 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”.

CP of India, Condolences Message to the Central Committee of the Syrian Communist Party:

To,

The Central Committee

Syrian Communist Party.

Dear Comrades,

It is with deep sorrow that the Communist Party of India has learned of the sudden passing of Comrade Amar Bagdache, General Secretary of the Central Committee of the Syrian Communist Party.

Comrade Bagdache was a courageous leader, a committed Marxist-Leninist, and a principled internationalist who dedicated his entire life to the cause of socialism, the rights of the working people, and the struggle against imperialism and reaction. His lifelong contributions to the Syrian Communist Party and the broader international communist and working-class movement will always be remembered with profound respect.

Born into a family of revolutionaries and forged in the crucible of struggle, Comrade Bagdache displayed exemplary leadership at every stage of his political life. He played a critical role in building the party and upholding the banner of Marxism-Leninism in extremely challenging circumstances. His presence in international forums inspired confidence and solidarity among communist parties and workers’ organisations worldwide.

The CPI condemns the criminal jihadist regime in Syria that persecuted Comrade Bagdache and his party. The campaign of terror unleashed on communists, political dissenters, minorities, and democratic forces is an affront to humanity and to all values of justice and freedom. We salute Comrade Bagdache’s resilience and defiance in the face of such adversity.

At this moment of grief and loss, the Communist Party of India stands in full solidarity with the Central Committee of the Syrian Communist Party, with Comrade Bagdache’s family, his son Khaled Bagdache and his wife Hala Mustafa, and with all comrades in Syria who continue the struggle under the most difficult conditions.

His legacy will live on in the struggles of the Syrian people and the global working-class movement.

Red Salute to Comrade Amar Bagdache!

Long live international solidarity!

Comradely yours,

(D. Raja)

General Secretary

Communist Party of India

Communist Party of Mexico, On the passing of Comrade Bagdash

(Translated from the Spanish)

The Communist Party of Mexico lowers its red flag in honor of Comrade Ammar Bagdash, the General Secretary of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of Syria, who has recently passed away. Comrade Bagdash, along with the entire Communist Party of Syria, endured persecution from the reactionary regime currently ruling Syria.

Comrade Bagdash fulfilled his duties to the working class and the work of communists in Syria, and also made contributions to the international communist movement and to the process of the International Meetings of Communist and Workers' Parties.

We express our condolences to the Central Committee of the Communist Party of Syria and to Comrade Bagdash's family.

Workers of all countries, unite!

The Central Committee of the Communist Party of Mexico