German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock Pixelated on Syrian Rebel’s Telegram Channel
In a controversial move, Germany’s Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock has found herself pixelated on photos published on a Syrian rebel’s Telegram channel, sparking further attention around her visit to Damascus. This incident follows the snub she received from Ahmed al-Scharaa, the de facto leader of the Islamist rebel group Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), who refused to shake her hand due to documented religious reasons.
The news was reported by ntv’s verification team, which discovered that the HTS-linked channel "Almharar" had released four images from Baerbock’s official meeting with the Syrian government. Unlike her male counterparts, Baerbock’s face was blurred, as were those of two female translators present at the meeting. This was ascertained by comparing the images with those from other channels.
Baerbock, a strong advocate for women’s rights, recently emphasized their importance as a marker for societal freedom. "The more women’s rights are suppressed, the more authoritarian and extreme a society becomes," she told Funke Medien. She also clarified that there would be no EU funding for Islamist structures in Syria, a message she conveyed to HTS leaders.
This visit marked the first time European foreign ministers have traveled to Syria since the fall of longtime president Bashar al-Assad. Baerbock was accompanied by French Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot. The trip aims to re-establish diplomatic ties and promote pardon and reconstruction efforts.
Transparency note: Stern and ntv belong to RTL Deutschland.
