Bashar al-Assad, the former President of Syria, has broken his silence since being ousted by jihadist forces in early December. In a detailed message shared on Telegram, Assad reflected on his unplanned escape to Russia, where he and his family have been granted asylum.
“It is a longing filled with hope that Syria will become free and independent again,” Assad wrote, lamenting that the country is now under the control of “terrorists.”
The ex-leader recounted how he fled Damascus as rebels closed in on the capital. With Moscow’s intervention, he was relocated to Latakia before being evacuated following a drone attack on a Russian airbase.
Despite his exile, Assad expressed an unwavering connection to Syria and its people. “It does not in any way diminish my strong sense of belonging to Syria and its people – a bond that remains undisturbed,” he stated.
Syria’s situation remains turbulent in the aftermath of Assad’s ousting. Infighting has erupted among local groups, with growing resistance to HTS (formerly al-Qaeda) due to allegations of abuse. Meanwhile, tensions simmer between various minority groups that once coexisted relatively peacefully under Assad’s secular governance.
The statement underscores Assad’s continued desire for Syria’s stability, even as the nation grapples with a fractured and chaotic reality.
