Basha al-Assad has given his first public statement on Monday since he was toppled as the Syrian dictator by rebel forces.
The former Syrian President said he had never thought of “stepping down or seeking refuge” and he now lives in Moscow.
Assad he is releasing his statement to address “misinformation and narratives far removed from the truth” following him fleeing Syria for Russia.
Bloomberg cited sources on 11 December that Assad was persuaded by officials in Moscow to flee to Russia when it was realised the regime was to fall following the rapid advance of the rebels who ended up taking the capital city of Damascus.
Assad said, “First, 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 until the early hours of Sunday 8th December 2024.”
He said that once rebel forces closed in on Damascus he then moved to Latakia military base “in coordination with our Russian allies to oversee combat operations.”
Moscow ordered 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,” he added.
Assad then claimed that 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,” although he never explained how.
The Syrian dictator then claimed he could not “forsake his own people or betray the army and nation to which he belongs.
“I have never sought positions for personal gain but have always considered myself as a custodian of a national project, supported by the faith of the Syrian people, who believed in its vision.”
Assad then claimed that he only acted as a defender of the Syrian people, he said, “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. This does not, in any way, diminish my profound sense of belonging to Syria and her people — a bond that remains unshaken by any position or circumstance.”
On 15 December the Financial Times reported that Assad had airlifted around $250 million in cash to Moscow between 2018 and 2019.
Records seen by the FT says that Syria’s central bank flew almost two tonnes od $100 bills and €500 in notes to Russia, thereafter the money was deposited into Russian banks, who are sanctioned.
