FT: Assad sought negotiations with Syrian opposition via Russia prior to escape

Former Syrian President Bashar al-Assad reportedly tried to reach out to Russia just days before his departure from Damascus, seeking to open negotiations with opposition forces.

According to sources cited by the Financial Times, Assad expressed a willingness to engage in talks with the Syrian opposition in Geneva, per Caliber.Az.

However, these efforts to communicate with Moscow were unsuccessful, and the message did not reach the Russian authorities.

Assad, along with his eldest son Hafez, fled Damascus on December 7 in a Russian armoured vehicle, heading towards the Russian airbase at Hmeimim. Witnesses claimed that several of Assad’s close allies and top aides, who had been instrumental in sustaining the regime, joined the escape, including his long-time adviser Bouthaina Shaaban.

The group, after initially fleeing to Beirut, dispersed quickly, with some individuals travelling to European countries, while others sought refuge in the UAE. Senior military figures either made their way to Russia or Libya. Shaaban was later spotted in Dubai, a known refuge for regime loyalists.

While Bashar al-Assad sought refuge in Russia, his younger brother Maher, the commander of the notorious Fourth Division and a key figure in the regime’s corruption network, warned his associates to flee to Lebanon. Maher reportedly crossed into Iraq himself, though it is unclear whether he remained there or continued on to Russia.

Among the family members, Assad left behind were his maternal cousin, intelligence officer Iyad Makhlouf, his twin brother Ihab, and their mother. According to sources, the family members were attacked while trying to flee into Lebanon, resulting in the death of Ihab and injuries to Iyad and their mother. Iyad received treatment at a hospital in Chtoura, Lebanon, before reportedly leaving for Dubai.

Iyad and Ihab had remained close to Assad and his wife Asma, despite their cousin Rami Makhlouf falling out of favour with the regime in 2020. Rami, once Syria’s most powerful businessman, has not been seen since his fall from grace, and his current whereabouts are unknown.

Also unaccounted for is Ali Mamlouk, Assad's senior adviser and former general intelligence chief. Some loyalist families have reportedly sought refuge at the Russian embassy in Damascus, though their identities remain unclear. The new Syrian government has informed Russia that it will not facilitate the exit of Syrian nationals from the country.

On December 8, the Free Syrian Army, supported by the US and Türkiye, declared the end of Assad’s rule. The Russian Foreign Ministry later confirmed that Assad had decided to resign and leave Syria, instructing a peaceful transfer of power. A Kremlin source subsequently stated that Assad and his family had arrived in Moscow, where they were granted asylum "for humanitarian reasons."

By Tamilla Hasanova