‘Never Considered Asylum As An Option’: Assad Explains Why He Fled Syria In First Statement From Russia

Moscow: Bashar al-Assad, whose regime was toppled by Syrian rebels last week, said on Monday that he never considered asylum as an option, but Russia evacuated him due to drone attacks in Damascus.

The ousted Syrian President issued his first statement since the coup, according to news agency AFP.

“First, my departure from Syria was neither planned nor did it occur during the final hours of the battle, 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 a written statement from Russia.

“As terrorist forces infiltrated Damascus, I moved to Lattakia in coordination with our Russian allies to oversee combat operations. Upon arrival at the Hmeimim airbase that morning, it became clear that our forces had completely withdrawn from all battle lines and that the last army positions had fallen,” he stated.

Lamenting the current state of the nation, he said described was “in the hands of terrorism.”

“I have never sought positions for personal gain but have always considered myself a custodian of a national project, supported by the faith of the Syrian people, who believed in its vision,” said Assad, adding that he believed in the resilience of the Syrian people and their ability to defend the state.

Assad rose to power in 2000 after nearly three decades of authoritarian rule of his father, Hafez al-Assad.

A strong offensive led by Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) — formerly known as Al-Nusra Front and once affiliated with Al-Qaeda – led to the ouster of Assad and his regime on December 8.