Russia says hosting Bashar Assad is a humanitarian move, not political

Russia has stated that its decision to host former Syrian President Bashar Assad and his family is purely humanitarian and not politically motivated. The Foreign Ministry spokesperson, Maria Zakharova, made this assertion during a press conference on Thursday. This marks the first official comment from Moscow regarding the possibility of extraditing Assad to the new Syrian authorities following his recent death sentence in absentia.

Zakharova emphasized that the decision was made solely on humanitarian grounds, stating that Assad and his family were facing death threats due to the tragic circumstances following the regime change in Syria. She was responding to questions about Moscow's stance on the possibility of extraditing Assad to face the sentence. The Russian position comes after Damascus' Fourth Criminal Court sentenced Assad to death in absentia on August 11, along with several other fugitives for crimes against the Syrian people, including war crimes and crimes against humanity.

Assad left Syria for Russia in December 2024 following the collapse of his regime. At the time of his arrival, Moscow confirmed that Assad and his family had been granted asylum for humanitarian reasons.