Russia on handing over Assad to Syria: We are hosting him for humanitarian reasons

The Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs confirmed that the decision to grant asylum to former Syrian President Bashar al-Assad and his family in Russia was taken for purely humanitarian reasons, denying any political motives behind the move. Maria Zakharova, spokesperson for the Russian Foreign Ministry, stated during a press conference that Russian authorities made their decision in light of the circumstances following the collapse of the previous regime in Syria, and what she described as threats facing Assad and his family members.

Zakharova’s remarks came in response to a question about Moscow’s stance on the possibility of handing Assad over to the new Syrian authorities, after a court issued a death sentence against him in absentia. Zakharova said the decision was “based on purely humanitarian considerations,” adding that it was “due to the dire circumstances that followed the change of regime in Syria, where he and his family faced threats of being killed,” according to her.

The Russian spokesperson emphasized that hosting Assad in Russia was not driven by political considerations, a stance that once again highlights the former Syrian president’s status in Moscow, as well as the future of Russia’s response to any Syrian requests related to him.

Assad fled to Russia in December 2024 after the collapse of his regime, following the entry of opposition factions into Damascus and the end of more than two decades of his rule. On August 11, a criminal court in Damascus sentenced Assad, his brother Maher, commander of the Fourth Division, and his cousin Atif Najib, former head of the Political Security Branch in Daraa, to death in absentia, after convicting them of murder, torture, and other abuses against Syrians.

This verdict against Assad marks the first issued by the transitional authorities, which have begun this year to try former regime officials both in absentia and in person. The court condemned Bashar for the intentional killing of numerous individuals, including children, and for torture, affirming that he had misused state apparatus to carry out acts amounting to war crimes and crimes against humanity.