Former Syrian President Bashar al-Assad releases first statement after departure from Syria

In his first public statement since the collapse of his regime, former Syrian President Bashar al-Assad has revealed the chaotic circumstances of his departure from Syria, firmly rejecting claims that his exit was pre-arranged. Speaking from Moscow on December 16, Assad detailed the final hours of his family’s half-century rule over Syria.

According to Assad’s statement, published on the Syrian presidency’s Telegram channel, he remained in Damascus until the early morning hours of Sunday, December 8, continuing to perform his duties as president. As insurgent forces led by Hayat Tahrir al-Sham advanced through the country in a lightning offensive, Assad relocated to Latakia province, where he claimed he intended to oversee military operations from the Russian base at Hmeimim.

The situation deteriorated rapidly upon his arrival at the base. Assad discovered that Syrian government forces had completely abandoned their positions, and the last military strongholds had fallen to rebel forces. The base itself came under intense drone attacks, and with ground routes cut off,



Russian authorities requested an immediate evacuation of Assad to Moscow.

Russian President Vladimir Putin granted Assad asylum on December 9, extending protection to his longtime ally whose family had ruled Syria since 1971. This aligns with recent Reuters reporting that revealed Assad had maintained extreme secrecy about his escape plans, keeping even close family members and senior officials unaware of his intentions.

The former Syrian leader strongly emphasized his reluctance to leave, stating, “At no point during these events did I consider stepping down or seeking refuge, nor was such a proposal made by any individual party.” However, the swift advance of rebel forces, coupled with the collapse of government resistance, ultimately forced his hand.

This account marks Assad’s first detailed explanation of the events that ended his family’s iron-fisted rule over Syria and led to his current exile in Russia, a country that had deployed its air force in 2015 to help prop up his regime.