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ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - Ousted Syrian President Bashar al-Assad said on Monday that his departure from the country was not planned and that Russia had arranged his evacuation from Lattakia to Moscow, marking what is believed to be the former president’s first statement since the regime’s fall.
“My departure from Syria was neither planned nor did it occur during the final hours of the battles, as some have claimed. On the contrary, I remained in Damascus, carrying out my duties until the early hours of Sunday 8th December 2024,” Assad said in the statement, adding that he later moved to Lattakia in coordination with the Russians to oversee the military operations.
The statement was published on the former Telegram channel of the Syrian presidency, which claimed that there were “several unsuccessful attempts to release the statement through Arabic and international media outlets.”
“As the field situation in the area continued to deteriorate, the Russian military base itself came under intensified attack by drone strikes… Moscow requested that the base’s command arrange an immediate evacuation to Russia on the evening of Sunday 8th December,” he added, noting that his departure from Syria took place a day after the fall of Damascus.
Rudaw English could not independently verify the authenticity of the statement.
In late November, Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) led a lightning-quick offensive against the Syrian army, seizing the northern cities of Aleppo, Hama, and Homs before capturing the capital Damascus as Assad fled the country, ending over five decades of Baathist rule in less than two weeks and bringing the country’s 13-year long civil war to an end.
“At no point during these events did I consider stepping down or seeking refuge, nor was such a proposal made by any individual or party. The only course of action was to continue fighting against the terrorist onslaught,” the ousted Syrian president said.
Assad said that the country has fallen in the hands of “terrorism” and the ability to make “meaningful contribution” is lost.
Following the collapse of the regime last week, Assad and his family arrived in Moscow and were granted asylum by the Russian government.
HTS is the former Syrian branch of al-Qaeda and the prominent force among dozens of rebel factions. The group has long controlled a rebel enclave in the northwestern province of Idlib. It has been internationally recognized as a terrorist organization.
The group has now formed a transitional government headed by Mohammed al-Bashir, set to remain in power until March 2025.
“My departure from Syria was neither planned nor did it occur during the final hours of the battles, as some have claimed. On the contrary, I remained in Damascus, carrying out my duties until the early hours of Sunday 8th December 2024,” Assad said in the statement, adding that he later moved to Lattakia in coordination with the Russians to oversee the military operations.
The statement was published on the former Telegram channel of the Syrian presidency, which claimed that there were “several unsuccessful attempts to release the statement through Arabic and international media outlets.”
“As the field situation in the area continued to deteriorate, the Russian military base itself came under intensified attack by drone strikes… Moscow requested that the base’s command arrange an immediate evacuation to Russia on the evening of Sunday 8th December,” he added, noting that his departure from Syria took place a day after the fall of Damascus.
Rudaw English could not independently verify the authenticity of the statement.
In late November, Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) led a lightning-quick offensive against the Syrian army, seizing the northern cities of Aleppo, Hama, and Homs before capturing the capital Damascus as Assad fled the country, ending over five decades of Baathist rule in less than two weeks and bringing the country’s 13-year long civil war to an end.
“At no point during these events did I consider stepping down or seeking refuge, nor was such a proposal made by any individual or party. The only course of action was to continue fighting against the terrorist onslaught,” the ousted Syrian president said.
Assad said that the country has fallen in the hands of “terrorism” and the ability to make “meaningful contribution” is lost.
Following the collapse of the regime last week, Assad and his family arrived in Moscow and were granted asylum by the Russian government.
HTS is the former Syrian branch of al-Qaeda and the prominent force among dozens of rebel factions. The group has long controlled a rebel enclave in the northwestern province of Idlib. It has been internationally recognized as a terrorist organization.
The group has now formed a transitional government headed by Mohammed al-Bashir, set to remain in power until March 2025.
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