Russia: We will not hand over Bashar al-Assad

Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Georgy Borisenko stated that Russia's decision to grant political asylum to Bashar al-Assad is irreversible and the current Damascus government is aware of this.

The Russian government has officially rejected the request of the Syrian authorities to extradite Bashar al-Assad, the former president of this country.

This comment was made after the historic verdict of the Syrian court that Bashar al-Assad was sentenced in absentia on the charge of what he called "numerous crimes during his long rule".

Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Georgy Borisenko stated that Russia's decision to grant political asylum to Bashar al-Assad is irreversible and the current Damascus government is aware of this.

In an interview with RTVI, a senior Russian diplomat said: "Our Syrian partners know very well that Russia has granted political asylum to Bashar al-Assad for humanitarian reasons. "The current government of Damascus knows that this Russian decision is irreversible."

In late November 2024, Syrian rebel groups launched a massive attack against Syrian regime positions. On December 8 of the same year, these groups entered Damascus, while Bashar al-Assad fled to Russia.

Ahmed al-Shora, the leader of Tahrir al-Sham, became the de facto interim leader of Syria. On January 29, 2025, he announced himself as interim president for a transitional period of four to five years.