Russia Grants Political Asylum to Former Syrian President Bashar al-Assad

Moscow, 9th December 2024: On Monday, Russia announced that it had granted political asylum to former Syrian president Bashar al-Assad, following his resignation and flight from Syria after rebels ended his rule. Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov confirmed that Russian President Vladimir Putin decided to offer asylum to Assad, though Peskov did not disclose Assad’s current location or confirm any plans for a meeting between Putin and Assad.

Assad’s regime came to an end 11 days after a surprise attack by rebels, marking the collapse of his rule more than 13 years after his violent crackdown on anti-government protests triggered Syria’s civil war, which had largely quieted until the recent rebel offensive.

Abu Mohammed al-Jolani, leader of the Islamist group Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), which led the rebel advance, declared the victory as “historic for the region” during a speech at the Umayyad Mosque in Damascus on Sunday.