Bashar al-Assad says he didn’t intend to leave Syria, statement claims

Syria’s former President Bashar al-Assad says he never intended to flee to Russia – in what is purported to be his first statement since the fall of Damascus eight days ago.

Assad’s reported statement was put on the Telegram channel belonging to the Syrian presidency on Monday, although it is not clear who currently controls it – or whether he wrote it.

In it he says that, as the Syrian capital fell to rebels, he went to a Russian military base in Latakia province “to oversee combat operations” only to see that Syrian troops had abandoned positions.

Hmeimim airbase had also come under “intensified attack by drone strikes” and the Russians had decided to airlift him to Moscow, he says.

In the statement – published both in Arabic and English – the former Syrian leader reportedly describes what happened on 8 December – and how he was apparently besieged at the Russian base.

“With no viable means of leaving the base, Moscow requested that the base’s command arrange an immediate evacuation to Russia on the evening of Sunday 8th December,” the statement reads.

“This took place a day after the fall of Damascus, following the collapse of the final military positions and the resulting paralysis of all remaining state institutions.”

The statement adds that “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”.

“When the state falls into the hands of terrorism and the ability to make a meaningful contribution is lost, any position becomes void of purpose,” it says.

Assad was nowhere to be seen as Syrian cities and provinces fell to rebels led by the Islamist militant group Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) within a period of 12 days.

However, speculation mounted that he had fled the country as even his prime minister was not able to contact him during the rebel sweep into Damascus.

On 9 December, Russian media announced that he had been given asylum there – even though there has not been any official confirmation.

The Syrian rebel groups are continuing to form a transitional government.

HTS, Syria’s most powerful rebel group, was set up under a different name, Jabhat al-Nusra, in 2011 and pledged allegiance to al-Qaeda the following year.

Al-Nusra broke ties with al-Qaeda in 2016 and later took the name HTS when it merged with other factions. However, the UN, US, UK and a number of other countries continue to designate it as a terrorist group.

Its leader Ahmed al-Sharaa, who previously used the nom de guerre Abu Mohammed al-Jolani, has pledged tolerance for different religious groups and communities. But his group’s jihadist past has left some doubting whether it will live up to such promises.

UN envoy Geir Pedersen, who met al-Sharaa on Sunday, said Syria must have a “credible and inclusive” transition.

Qatar has also sent a delegation to Syria to meet transitional government officials ahead of the re-opening of its embassy on Tuesday, 13 years after it was closed.

Western countries have not gone as far as re-opening their embassies, but in the past two days the US and the UK said they had been in touch with HTS. The British government made clear the Islamist-led rebel group remains a proscribed terrorist organisation, despite it beginning “diplomatic contact” with the group.

Speaking on Monday, EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas said Moscow and Tehran “should not have a place in Syria’s future”.