Bashar al Assad : Ousted Syrian President Bashar al-Assad and his family have arrived in Moscow and been granted shelter, Russia’s official media announced today, hours after Islamist-led rebels gained control of the country.
“Assad along with members of his family have landed in Moscow,” a Kremlin official told TASS and Ria Novosti reports. “Russia granted them asylum on ethical grounds,” she informed us.
For the whole of Sunday, there was discussion on social media regarding Assad’s unknowns whereabouts, aided by aeroplane trackers.
According to Flightradar data, a Syrian Air plane took off from Damascus airport about the same moment rebels took control of the capital.
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The plane originally proceeded towards Syria’s coastal region, a stronghold of Assad’s Alawite sect, but then did a quick U-turn and flew in a different direction for a few minutes before disappearing from view.
The plane’s sudden shift in direction and disappearance from radar may indicate that it was shot down or that its transponder was turned off.
Bashar al Assad and his family currently in Russia
With Assad and his family currently in Russia, it’s apparent the plane’s transponder had been switched off.
Assad’s retiring comes less than two weeks after the Islamist Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) group launched an aggressive attack, challenging over five decades of Assad family dominance.
Abu Mohammed al-Jolani, the Islamist head of HTS, paid a visit to the capital Damascus’ a symbol Umayyad Mosque, where throngs greeted him with smiles and embraces. HTS is based on the Syrian branch of Al-Qaeda.
Western nations have classified HTS as a terrorist organisation, but it has worked to soften its image in recent times.
Syria destroyed memorials of Bashar al-Assad’s father
People around Syria destroyed memorials of Bashar al-Assad’s father, Hafez al-Assad, who founded the rule of law system he inherited. For the past 50 years in Syria, even the slightest suggestion of opposition has resulted in imprisonment or death.
On Sunday, UN war crimes investigators described Assad’s departure as a “historic new beginning” for Syrians, urging those in authority to ensure that the “atrocities” committed under his rule are not repeated.
The quick changes occurred just hours after HTS announced that it had captured the strategically important town of Homs, where prisoners were also at ease. Homs was the third major city captured by the rebels, who started their assault on November 27.
According to the White House, US President Joe Biden keeps an eye on the “extraordinary events” taking place in Syria. US President-elect Donald Trump indicated that Assad had “fled his nation” after losing Russia’s help.
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