Former Syrian president Bashar al-Assad has claimed his departure from Syria was unplanned and decided by Russian allies. Assad said he was evacuated from Hmeimim airbase in Latakia after heavy drone attacks on 8 December.
In his first public comments since his regime’s fall, Assad portrayed himself as a leader who resisted until the end. He insisted his departure wasn’t during the last hours of Damascus’ fall, as some claimed. Instead, he said, his evacuation occurred when the last Syrian army positions collapsed.
Assad Denies Corruption and Praises His Leadership
Assad, now in Moscow with his family under asylum, rejected accusations of corruption, claiming he served Syria selflessly. “I’ve never sought personal gain but acted as a custodian of a national project,” Assad said.
Meanwhile, evidence of the Assad family’s looted wealth, including luxury cars and designer goods, surfaced after the regime’s collapse. Celebrations erupted across Syria following Assad’s removal, marking the end of his decades-long rule. Many Syrians also began searching for loved ones lost in the regime’s brutal prison system.
Outgoing US President Joe Biden called the fall of Assad’s regime a moment of justice and hope for Syria’s future. Biden emphasized the importance of rebuilding Syria after decades of suffering under Assad’s brutal leadership.