Bashar al-Assad fled Syria after rebels led by the Islamist group Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) reached Damascus on December 8, forcing his military to abandon tanks and other equipment. In his first statement since his regime collapsed over a week ago, Assad denied any “planned” departure from the country, which his family had ruled for nearly five decades.
In a statement issued from Russia, where he sought asylum after fleeing, Assad described the new leadership in Syria as “terrorists.” The 59-year-old, who was granted refuge in Russia by President Vladimir Putin, insisted he had remained in Damascus, fulfilling his duties until the early hours of December 8.
“My departure from Syria was neither planned nor did it happen during the final moments of the fighting,” he said in the statement, which was shared on the Syrian presidency’s Telegram channel. “At no point during these events did I consider stepping down or seeking refuge, nor was such a suggestion made by any party,” Assad continued.
As “terrorist forces infiltrated” Damascus, Assad moved to Latakia, where Russia operates a naval base, with help from his “Russian allies” to supervise combat operations. Russia has been a key ally of Assad throughout the Syrian civil war, which began in 2011.
Assad explained that upon arriving at the Russian air base in Hmeimim that morning, it became clear that Syrian forces had fully withdrawn from all battlefronts, and the last military positions had fallen. “With no feasible way to leave the base, Moscow requested that the base’s command arrange an immediate evacuation to Russia on the evening of December 8,” he said. This occurred a day after the fall of Damascus and the collapse of the final military positions, leading to the paralysis of all remaining state institutions.
“As terrorism spread across Syria and reached Damascus on the evening of December 7, speculation about the president’s fate and whereabouts surged, accompanied by a wave of misinformation, aimed at portraying international terrorism as a liberation movement for Syria,” Assad’s statement continued.
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Reports suggest that Assad confided in very few people about his plans to flee, with his aides, officials, and even family members kept in the dark.
Assad expressed no regrets about his time in power, describing himself as the “custodian” of a national project supported by Syrians. “I have always believed in their ability to protect the state, defend its institutions, and uphold their choices until the very end,” he said. “When the state falls to terrorism and the ability to contribute meaningfully is lost, any position becomes meaningless, rendering its occupation purposeless,” he added.
