In first public remarks since fleeing Syria, ousted President, Bashar al-Assad denied planning his departure as armed opposition fighters closed in on Damascus earlier this month.
A statement said to be written by Bashar al-Assad and released on the Syrian presidency’s Telegram channel on Monday, December 16, 2024, presented an account of how and why the former President fled Syria.
The statement said, “First, my departure from Syria was neither planned nor did it occur during the final hours of the battles, as some have claimed.”
“At no point during these events did I consider stepping down or seeking refuge, nor was such a proposal made by any individual party. On the contrary, I remained in Damascus, carrying out my duties until the early hours of Sunday, December 8, 2024.
“As terrorist forces infiltrated Damascus, I moved to Latakia in coordination with our Russian allies to oversee combat operations.”
Bashar al-Assad
According to the statement, the base came under drone attacks from armed opposition fighters.
However, upon arriving at the Russian air base of Hmeimim that morning, “it became clear that our forces had completely withdrawn from all battle lines and that the last army positions had fallen.”
“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 8 December.
“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.”
Bashar al-Assad
The statement has not been independently verified. Al-Assad has not made any media appearances since he was granted asylum with his family by Russia.
The Kremlin said on December 9, 2024, that President Vladimir Putin had made the decision to grant Assad asylum in Russia, which deployed its air force to Syria in 2015 to help him repel rebel forces.
A news agency reported last week that Assad confided in almost no one about his plans to flee Syria. Instead, aides, officials and even relatives were deceived or kept in the dark, more than a dozen people with knowledge of the events told the news agency.
Al-Assad Defends Rule
Also in the statement, attributed to Bashar al-Assad, the former President sounded unapologetic about his years in power, saying he considered himself the “custodian” of a national project backed by Syrians.
“I have carried an unwavering conviction in their will and ability to protect the state, defend its institutions, and uphold their choices to the very last moment.
“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, rendering its occupation meaningless.”
Bashar al-Assad
Al-Assad’s presidency, which began after the death of his father Hafez in 2000, saw one of the most devastating wars of the 21st century.
The conflict started in 2011 as Syrians took to the streets to protest against the government as part of the “Arab Spring” pro-democracy uprisings that swept the Middle East that year.
As the demonstrations were met with a deadly crackdown by security forces, the protest movement turned into an armed uprising.
The war, which lasted more than 13 years, fragmented the country, killed hundreds of thousands of people and displaced millions.
Rights groups have accused al-Assad’s authoritarian government of perpetrating rampant human rights violations.
Opposition fighters and rights advocates have said they discovered more horrific abuses and signs of torture and mass executions as they freed jails housing thousands of detainees across Syria this month.
Tens of thousands of Syrians believed to have been in government custody remain unaccounted for.
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