Former Syrian President Bashar al-Assad says he never intended to flee to Russia – in his first statement since the fall of Damascus eight days ago.
Bashar al-Assad’s statement was posted on Monday to the Syrian presidency’s Telegram channel, though it’s unclear who currently controls it – or who wrote it.
In it, he says that as the Syrian capital fell to the rebels, he went to a Russian military base in Latakia province to “monitor combat operations” to see that Syrian troops had abandoned their positions. .
He said the Hammeim airbase had also come under “intense attack by drone strikes” and that the Russians had decided to take it to Moscow.
In the statement – published in both Arabic and English – the former Syrian leader reportedly described what happened on December 8 – and how he was apparently besieged at the Russian base.
“With no viable means of evacuating the base, Moscow requested that base command arrange an immediate evacuation to Russia on the evening of Sunday, December 8,” the statement said.
“This happened a day after the fall of Damascus, the collapse of the final military positions and the consequent paralysis of all remaining state institutions.”
“At no point during these events did I consider resigning or taking refuge, nor was any such suggestion made by any individual or party,” the statement added.
“When a state falls into the hands of terrorism and loses its ability to make a meaningful contribution, any position becomes meaningless,” it said.
Assad was nowhere to be seen as Syrian cities and provinces fell within 12 days to rebels led by the Islamist militant group Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS).
However, speculation was rife that he had fled the country because even his prime minister was unable to contact him during the rebel offensive in Damascus.
On December 9, Russian media announced that he had been granted asylum there – although there was no official confirmation.
Syrian rebel groups continue to make efforts to form an interim government.
HTS, Syria’s most powerful rebel group, was founded in 2011 under a different name, Jabhat al-Nusra, and pledged allegiance to al-Qaeda the following year.
Al-Nusra broke ties with al-Qaeda in 2016 and later took the name HTS when it merged with other factions. However, the United Nations, the United States, the United Kingdom and several other countries continue to designate it as a terrorist group.
Its leader, Ahmad al-Shara, who previously used the name Abu Muhammad al-Julani, has pledged tolerance for different religious groups and communities. But his group’s jihadist past has left some doubting whether he will follow through on such promises.