For the first time since militant Islamists seized power in Syria and overthrew the country’s secular government, the ex-president has now chosen to break his silence and tell us why he actually fled to Russia.

Bashar al-Assad also says that he still feels a strong affinity with Syria and its people and that he is hopeful that the country “will once again be free and independent”.

He says that the decision to leave Syria was made as late as the evening of December 8 and his initial plan was to continue fighting the jihadists who had advanced to the capital Damascus the day before.

“I remained in Damascus, carrying out my duties until the early hours of Sunday, 8th December 2024. As terrorist forces infiltrated Damascus, I moved to Latakia in coordination with our Russian allies to oversee combat operations. Upon arrival at Hmeimim airbase that morning, it became clear that our forces had completely withdrawn from all battle lines and that the last army positions had fallen”, writes Syria’s toppled leader.

“As the field situation in the area continued to deteriorate, the Russian military base itself came under intensified attack by drone strikes. With no viable means of leaving the base, Moscow requested that the base’s command arrange an immediate evacuation to Russia on the evening of Sunday 8th December“, he continues.

“Meaningless occupation”

According to Assad, his departure for Moscow “was neither planned nor did it occur during the final hours of the battles“, as some have claimed. On the contrary, he was determined neither to resign nor to flee before all hope was lost.

The ex-leader further stresses that he has never sought positions for personal gain but always considered himself a steward of a national project, supported by the Syrian people’s faith in its vision.

“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“, he continues.

“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. It is a belonging filled with hope that Syria will once again be free and independent“, he concludes his letter.

Ruled for 25 years

Bashar al-Assad ruled Syria for 25 years before his overthrow, and before that his father Hafez al-Assad was in office from 1971 to 2000.

In the West, particularly in recent years, Assad has been accused of being a bloodthirsty and totalitarian despot who has ruled the country with an iron fist and systematically imprisoned or repressed critics and dissidents.

However, supporters of the ousted president point out that, unlike many of its neighbors, Syria under Assad was a country of relative freedom, where Christians and atheists could live their lives without risk of being killed or abused by Islamists, and that until the civil war, the country was relatively developed and prosperous compared to other nations in the region.