Following the political crisis in Syria, Russia granted asylum to Bashar al-Assad and his family

Moscow: According to a Kremlin source cited by TASS, Russia has offered sanctuary to Bashar al-Assad and his family in the wake of the political crisis in Syria. Following Syrian rebels’ Sunday incursion into the capital, Damascus, which forced Assad to leave and ended his more than two-decade control in the country, the situation in Syria continues to be a major concern for all of the neighboring countries.

According to the source, Assad and his family have reached Moscow, where they have been given shelter by Russia on the basis of “humanitarian considerations.”

“Russia has always advocated for a diplomatic solution to the Syrian situation. The Russian news agency quoted the person as saying, “We demand that the UN-mediated negotiations be resumed.”

“Russian officials are in touch with representatives of armed Syrian opposition, whose leaders have guaranteed the security of Russian military bases and diplomatic missions on the Syrian territory,” a source told TASS.

Notably, the Russian Foreign Ministry called on all parties to the discussions to strongly reject violence and settle all disputes via political channels on Sunday, expressing deep worry over the developments in Syria.

The government also said that Bashar al-Assad has resigned and departed the nation with directives to hand over leadership amicably.

“We are really concerned about the tragic events that are taking place in Syria. Following discussions with many parties involved in the SAR’s violent conflict, B. Assad made the decision to resign as president and departed the nation, instructing those in charge to hand over control amicably. These discussions were not attended by Russia. At the same time, we strongly urge all sides to refrain from using violence and to settle any governance disputes via political channels,” the Russian Foreign Ministry said.

“The Russian Federation communicates with all Syrian opposition parties in this respect. The statement also said, “We support efforts to establish an inclusive political process based on the unanimously adopted UN Security Council Resolution 2254 and call for respect for the opinions of all ethno-confessional forces of Syrian society.”
The Assad family’s nearly 60 years of autocratic rule came to an end on Sunday when the country’s civil war, which had been dormant for a few years, erupted again. In just a few weeks, Syrian rebel groups seized control of several important cities, including Aleppo, Homs, and Daraa, before taking over Damascus without any opposition.

The event occurred only hours after rebels in northern Syria claimed to have taken Homs, the country’s third-largest city.

Damascus is now “without Bashar al-Assad,” according to Hadi al-Bahra Syrian, the leader of Syria’s main opposition party overseas, as reported by Reuters. This followed claims by Syrian rebels that they had taken Damascus.

“The tyrant Bashar al-Assad has fled,” said a statement from the armed opposition.