In his first statement after being ousted as President of Syria, Bashar al-Assad said he had planned to continue fighting the rebels and not leave the country. However, he had to evacuate at Russia’s request after the military base he was staying at came under attack.
The former Syrian President said that he remained in Damascus till the early morning of December 8, leaving the country only in the evening of that day.
“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..,” Assad wrote on his statement posted on his Telegram channel on Monday.
The statement further added: “Moscow requested that the base’s command arrange an immediate evacuation to Russia on the evening of Sunday 8th 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.”
Assad revealed that he was evacuated to Russia from the Hmeimim base in Syria on the evening of December 8, following drone attacks on the base. He had left Damascus earlier that morning, with opposition fighters closing in.
Never Considered ‘Stepping Down’
Assad also clarified that he never considered “stepping down or seeking refuge” during the conflict, nor there was such a proposal made by any “individual or party”.
“The only course of action was to continue fighting against the terrorist onslaught,” he noted.
He pointed out that his position as president became “void of purpose” after the country was taken over by “terrorists.”
“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,” the statement added.
The statement was Assad’s first public comment since he was toppled more than a week ago by a rebel offensive.
Moscow Grants Assad & Family Asylum
Following an 11-day offensive, a rebel coalition led by the Islamist group Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) overthrew President Bashar al-Assad, who fled to Russia with his family.
His fall from power marked a significant setback for Moscow, which, along with Iran, had been the main ally of the former Syrian president and had been militarily involved in Syria since 2015.
Reports from several Russian news agencies, citing a Kremlin source, confirmed that Assad and his family had arrived in Moscow after rebels took control of Syria’s capital, Damascus, on December 8. The source added that the Assad family had been granted asylum by Russian authorities on “humanitarian grounds.”
(With inputs from agencies)
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