Vladimir Putin’s government has granted asylum to former Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, who is currently in Moscow (Russia), according to Russian state news agency Tass on Sunday (December 8, 2024).
“Assad and his family have arrived in Moscow. Russia, on humanitarian grounds, has granted them asylum,” a person familiar with the matter told the media outlet. It is not known who is with al-Assad.
Earlier, the Russian Foreign Ministry said al-Assad had resigned and had already left Damascus before the capital was taken by rebels.But nothing was said about where he was going. His whereabouts were still unclear.
Syrian Prime Minister Mohammad Ghazi al-Jalali has said he is ready to hand over power to a transitional government. According to Russia, al-Jalali was instructed by al-Assad to cooperate in a peaceful handover.
The rebel offensive lasted less than two weeks. Syria has been in a civil war for more than a decade, with Russia and Iran supporting the then-government of Bashar al-Assad.
With Moscow’s focus on the war in Ukraine and Tehran’s on the conflict with Israel, Syrian rebels took advantage of the situation to advance against the al-Assad regime.
Also Read: The United States should stay out of the Syria war, says Donald Trump
