Moscow : In the first public remarks after fleeing Syria, Bashar al-Assad -- who ruled the country for over two decades before being overthrown by rebel fighters -- defended his rule and denied 'planning' his departure when the armed opposition fighters closed in on Damascus, Al Jazeera reported.
A statement attributed to "President Bashar al-Assad" and released on the Syrian presidency's Telegram channel on Monday stated that the country "fell into the hands of terrorism."
However, it is pertinent to note that the statement has not been independently verified, according to Al Jazeera. Al-Assad has not made any media appearances since he was granted asylum with his family by Russia.
"First, my departure from Syria was neither planned nor did it occur during the final hours of the battles, as some have claimed," the statement read.
"On the contrary, I remained in Damascus, carrying out my duties until the early hours of Sunday, December 8, 2024." The statement added that as rebel fighters, who al-Assad described as "terrorist forces", entered the capital, he moved to a Russian base on the coastal city of Latakia to "oversee combat operations."
"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 8 December," the statement read as quoted by Al Jazeera. "This took place a day after the fall of Damascus, following the collapse of the final military positions and the resulting paralysis of all remaining state institutions."
The former president expressed he is unapologetic about his years in power, saying he considered himself the "custodian" of a national project backed by Syrians.
"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," the statement said. "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."
Opposition forces, led by Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), launched a strong offensive from the northwestern province of Idlib last month. They reached Damascus in the early hours of December 8 and announced the end of more than 50 years of the al-Assad family's iron-fist rule over Syria.
Al-Assad's presidency began after the death of his father Hafez in 2000 and witnessed one of the most devastating wars of the 21st century. The conflict started in 2011 as Syrians took to the streets to protest against the government as part of the "Arab Spring" pro-democracy uprisings that swept the Middle East that year.
The demonstrations were met with a deadly crackdown by security forces, turning the protest into an armed uprising. Hundreds of thousands of people were killed and the country was left fragmented in the war which lasted for more than 13 years.
Rights groups have accused al-Assad's authoritarian government of perpetrating rampant human rights violations.
Opposition fighters and rights advocates claim to discover more horrific abuses and signs of torture and mass executions as they freed jails housing thousands of detainees across Syria this month, according to Al Jazeera. Tens of thousands of Syrians believed to have been in government custody remain unaccounted for.