Bashar al-Assad has broken his silence since being ousted, declaring that Syria is now under the control of terrorism.
In his first public statement, Assad revealed that his departure from the country was not premeditated, and was instead a result of a request from Moscow for his evacuation amid an attack on a military base.
Assad’s statement, shared via the ousted president’s Telegram channel, explained that he had been moved to Latakia earlier on December 8.
However, by that evening, Russia called for his immediate evacuation to Russia.
He also remarked that, with terrorism taking over the state and the ability to contribute effectively diminishing, any political role became meaningless.