A ripped poster of former Syrian President Bashar al-Assad lies on the ground outside the Interior Ministry building on December 17, 2024 in Damascus, Syria [Chris McGrath/Getty Images]
A ripped poster of former Syrian President Bashar al-Assad lies on the ground outside the Interior Ministry building on December 17, 2024 in Damascus, Syria [Chris McGrath/Getty Images]
Syria’s new leadership has officially requested Russia hand over ousted President Bashar Al-Assad in order for him to stand trial in Syria.
According to news outlet Al Arabiya, unnamed sources revealed on Saturday that Syria’s new interim President Ahmed Al-Sharaa has formally asked his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin to extradite Al-Assad – who headed his regime until its collapse on 8 December 2024 – to allow him to stand trial for his involvement in war crimes and crimes against humanity.
During the rapid takeover of the country by the opposition fighters, the president fled the country along with his family, with Russia – Assad’s long-time ally throughout the 13-year-long civil war – having granted them asylum.
Earlier this month, a Russian source was cited by Reuters news agency as insisting that Moscow would not agree to extradite Al-Assad and that it had not been formally requested to do so. With Syrian authorities’ official request now reportedly having been made, it is yet to be seen whether the Kremlin would reconsider its response.
The development also comes after Russian President Putin and his government sent a message to Al-Sharaa stating their readiness for “practical cooperation with the Syrian leadership on a whole range of issues on the bilateral agenda in order to strengthen traditionally friendly Russian-Syrian relations.”
READ: Russia calls for Western sanctions on Syria to be lifted
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