Russia says Assad reception based solely on humanitarian grounds
QAMISHLI, Syria (North Press) – Russia received former Syrian President Bashar al-Assad and his family on purely humanitarian grounds, with no political motives behind the decision, Russian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova said on Thursday.
“There was and is no political background to his reception in our country,” Zakharova said during a briefing, according to Russian media reports.
She said the decision to receive Assad was made on humanitarian grounds, rejecting suggestions that Moscow’s decision was politically motivated.
The statement came in response to questions about the possibility of handing over the former Syrian president.
On Aug. 11, the Fourth Criminal Court at the Palace of Justice in Damascus issued a death sentence in absentia against former Syrian President Bashar al-Assad.
In January, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said Syria’s new authorities had long stopped raising the issue of prosecuting Assad, who is staying in Russia.
Lavrov said Assad “plays no role in Syrian affairs.”
Assad left Syria following the fall of his government in December 2024 and subsequently went to Russia with members of his family.