The government of the Russian Federation has officially refused to hand over former Syrian President Bashar al-Assad to the new interim government in Damascus, which is demanding his prosecution for crimes against the Syrian people, reports Middle East Monitor.
After the fall of the Syrian regime on 8 December, power in the country passed into the hands of former rebels. Former dictator Bashar al-Assad fled to Russia, his long-time ally, where he and his family were granted political asylum.
The new Syrian government, headed by President Ahmed al-Sharaa, has repeatedly called on Moscow to extradite Assad for trial. Last month, an extradition request was officially submitted, but the Kremlin continues to ignore these requests.
According to Russia’s ambassador to Iraq, Alperus Kotrashev, Assad agreed to refrain from any political or media activity in Russia. “So far, there has been no violation of the agreements on his part,” the diplomat said.
He also stressed that the asylum was granted by a personal decree of Russian President Vladimir Putin, and “this decision is final and not subject to review”.
Despite the pressure from the international community and official Damascus, Moscow has not shown any willingness to change. Observers believe that Assad may remain in Russia for years, as the Kremlin is unwilling to betray an ally with whom it has been cooperating for more than a decade.
