Didn’t plan to flee Syria or seek refuge, says Assad in his first statement from Russia

Ousted Syrian leader Bashar al-Assad, in his first statement, said that Syria is now “in the hands of terrorists”. He also added that he had no plans to leave the country after the rebels captured Damascus. 

After toppling the Assad regime in Syria, the leader of the rebel group, Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), Abu Mohammed al-Jolani said that the group is determined to continue the path they started during the Arab Spring.  

However, Assad described his evacuation from Syria as a necessary measure. He said he left the country on December 8 as rebel forces advanced into the capital. Though he wanted to stay, Russia evacuated him. His evacuation to Russia followed drone attacks on the Russian-controlled Khmeimim airbase in Latakia.

Assad said he oversaw the combat operations from Latakia after fleeing Damascus but acknowledged that all military positions had collapsed.

"As terrorism spread across Syria and ultimately reached Damascus on the evening of Saturday 7 December 2024, questions arose about the president's fate and whereabouts. This occurred amidst a flood of misinformation and narratives far removed from the truth, aimed at recasting international terrorism as a liberation revolution for Syria," the statement reads. 

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, said Assad.

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, he added. 

"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. The only course of action was to continue fighting against the terrorist onslaught," he said. 

Assad also added that his "profound sense of belonging to Syria" remains unshaken.