Unlock Editor Digest for free

Rawla Khalaf, editor of the FT, selects her favorite stories in this weekly newsletter.

Ousted Syrian President Bashar al-Assad has denied that his exit from the country was pre-arranged, saying he stayed until he was trapped at a military base. which was under attack.

In his first statement since the rebel offensive began nearly three weeks ago, Assad said he remained in Damascus until the early hours of Sunday, December 8, when he moved to the Russian base at Hamimim on the Mediterranean coast.

The former leader said that as drone strikes against the base made it impossible to leave by land, Moscow requested the base's command to evacuate Russia immediately.

"My departure was neither planned nor occurred during the last hours of the war," he said. "At no time during these events did I consider resigning or taking refuge, nor was such a proposal made by any person or party."

The statement was published by the former Syrian president's official Telegram channel and Facebook page, calling it the "only viable option" after attempts by Arab and international media outlets to publish it failed. It was also carried by the Russian state newswire Tass.

Assad was overthrown On the 8th of December By rebel forces led by Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, an offshoot of the former al-Qaeda-affiliated al-Qaeda that has swept across Syria in a lightning strike to end half a century of rule by the Assad family, which has seen brutal repression and was characterized by corruption.

As rebels marched towards the capital on December 7, Syrians around the world watched state television following widespread rumors that Assad would deliver a speech.

Instead an army commander issued a short statement, warning Syrians not to believe what he claimed was a media campaign to sow discord.

After Assad failed to appear that night, thousands of his supporters left Damascus, believing their leader had abandoned them, according to people who left and footage posted on social media. and shared

Assad said that when he arrived at the base the next day, "it became clear that our forces had completely withdrawn from all battle lines and the last military positions had fallen".

In the absence of any public statement, loyalist anger with Assad has only grown since then. Moscow's foreign ministry announced Assad's resignation and move to Russia on Sunday. It said Russia was "not a party to those negotiations".

Assad said the delay in issuing his statement was due to "circumstances prevailing at the time, including a total communications blackout for security reasons". He promised a more detailed account of events "when opportunity permits."

"I have never sought positions for personal gain but I have always considered myself a custodian of a national project," he said, adding, "His departure, in any way, diminishes my deep sense of belonging to Syria and its people. doesn't". .