made his first statement since being removed from the presidency, saying he went to Hmeimim base on December 8, when the base was attacked by drones later that morning, with rebel fighters approaching.
His written statement was published on the Syrian Presidency’s Telegram channel and dated December 16 from Moscow, where it was sent to him.
He was deposed later in a lightning offensive, ending more than 50 years of his family’s iron-fisted rule.
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“At no time during these events did I consider resigning or seeking refuge, nor was such a proposal made by any party,” Assad said in the statement detailing the circumstances that led to his departure from Syria.
He stated that he remained in the capital Damascus, carrying out his duties until the early hours of Sunday, December 8.
“As terrorist forces infiltrated Damascus, I moved to Latakia in coordination with our Russian allies to oversee combat operations,” he said.
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But upon arriving at the Russian Hmeimim air base that morning, “it became clear that our forces had completely withdrawn from all battle lines and that the last Army positions had fallen.”
The Russian military base came “under intensified attack from drone strikes” and “with no viable means of leaving the base, Moscow requested that the base command arrange an immediate withdrawal to Russia,” the statement said.
The Kremlin said on December 9 that the president had made the decision to grant asylum to Assad in Russia, which sent its air force to Syria in 2015 to help him repel rebel forces.
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Reuters reported last week that Assad has told almost no one about his plans to flee Syria. Instead, aides, staff and even relatives were deceived or kept in the dark, more than a dozen people with knowledge of the events told Reuters.
