New Syrian government demands Russia extradite Assad – Reuters
The new Syrian government demands that Russia extradite former President Bashar al-Assad. He fled to Moscow after rebels seized Damascus in December 2024, Reuters reports.
According to agency sources, the demand was made by Syria’s de facto leader, Ahmed al-Sharaa, during a conversation with Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Mikhail Bogdanov.
A Russian delegation visited Damascus on January 28 - the first time since Assad’s overthrow. The delegation included Kremlin’s special envoy for Syria, Alexander Lavrentiev, alongside the mentioned deputy of Foreign Minister Lavrov.
Following the first round of talks, the Syrian party issued a statement saying that Russia had confirmed its support for the positive changes taking place in Syria.
The new Syrian government also stated that "restoring relations must address past mistakes, respect the will of the Syrian people and serve their interests."
In this regard, the Syrian authorities demanded that Moscow, which had previously bombed Syrian cities to help Assad fight rebels during the civil war, pay for the damage.
The statement also emphasized Russia’s role in rebuilding trust with the Syrian people through concrete measures, such as compensation, reconstruction, and restoration.
Meanwhile, the Kremlin has stated that it continues to engage in dialogue with Syria’s new leadership to maintain its military presence in the country. This includes the naval base in Tartus and the Khmeimim airbase near the port city of Latakia. Losing them would severely impact Russia’s military capabilities in the region.
Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov declined to comment on whether such a demand had been made.
Fall of the Assad regime in Syria
In November 2024, large-scale battles broke out in Syria between rebels from the Islamist group Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, the Syrian National Army, and the army of Bashar al-Assad.
The main goal of the rebels was to overthrow Assad’s regime and build a new Syria.
Ultimately, Assad was forced to flee to Moscow, where he allegedly declared a "voluntary transfer of power."
Later, the Kremlin reported that Russian President Vladimir Putin had decided to grant Assad asylum in Russia.
