Former Syrian President Bashar al-Assad has issued his first statement since he was deposed by rebel groups and fled to Russia less than two weeks ago.
Assad, speaking from Moscow where he sought refuge, said that ‘at no time during the events that have taken place in Syria’ did he intend to step down or flee, adding that he remained in the capital Damascus until the last possible moment.
He claimed to have fled in the early hours of December 8, hours before rebels from the Islamist group Ha’yat Tahrir al-Sham and other militias seized control of the capital.
In his statement, released on the official Syrian Presidential channel on the Telegram messaging account, Assad said he had decided to speak to ‘address a flood of misinformation and narratives far removed from the truth’.
‘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 8, December 2024.
‘At no point during these events did I consider stepping down or seeking refuge, nor such a proposal made by any individual or party. The only course of action was in continue fighting against the terrorist onslaught,’ the former president declared.
He went on to paint himself as a dedicated leader and family man who remained in Syria throughout the civil war ‘alongside his people’ – even as his forces conspired with Russia’s armed forces, Hezbollah and various Iranian-backed militias to slaughter thousands of Syrians.
‘I have never sought positions for personal gain but have always considered myself as a custodian of a national project, supported by the faith of the Syrian people, who believed in its vision,’ he insisted.
He concluded the statement saying he was ‘filled with hope that Syria will once again be free and independent’.
Former Syrian President Bashar al-Assad has issued his first statement since he was deposed by rebel groups and fled to Russia less than two weeks ago
People celebrate the collapse of 61 years of Baath Party rule as they gather at Umayyad Square after armed groups, opposing Syria’s Bashar al-Assad regime, take control in Damascus, Syria on December 9, 2024
People in Damascus celebrate on December 9, 2024, after Islamist-led rebels declared that they have taken the Syrian capital in a lightning offensive
Body bags lie on a field after a mass grave was discovered in an agricultural land in Izra, in Syria’s southern Daraa province, on December 16, 2024
