Soon after the president was ousted, Russia’s foreign ministry had said that he had left Syria and given orders for a peaceful transfer of power.
Ousted Syrian President Bashar al-Assad is in Moscow with his family after Russia granted them asylum on humanitarian grounds, Reuters reported on Monday, citing Russian news agencies.
A day earlier, armed rebel forces led by Abu Mohammed al-Golani entered Syria’s capital city of Damascus unopposed and toppled his government, bringing an end to the al-Assad family’s 50-year rule in the country.
Soon after Assad was ousted, Russia’s foreign ministry had said that he had left Syria and given orders for a peaceful transfer of power, according to Reuters.
Russia, along with Iran, backed the Assad regime through more than 13 years of unrest in the country. The collapse of the dictator’s regime is seen as a blow to both countries.
Assad ruled Syria for nearly 25 years, beginning in July 2000 after the death of his father Hafez al-Assad, who had been the country’s president since 1971.
“Syrian President Assad of Syria and members of his family have arrived in Moscow,” Reuters reported on Monday, citing unidentified Kremlin officials quoted by the privately-owned Interfax news agency and state media.
