Proposed handover of Bashar al-Assad to Syria

The proposed handover of Bashar al-Assad to Syria from Russia, where al-Assad was granted asylum,^[1] has become a pressing issue following the fall of his regime in Syria.^[2] The Syrian caretaker government, and later the transitional government, demanded his extradition so that he can be tried for crimes against humanity and potentially other charges stemming mainly from his violent crackdown on the Syrian revolution.^[3]

Bashar al-Assad with Vladimir Putin in 2017

Background

See also: Presidency of Bashar al-Assad

Bashar al-Assad was the president of Syria from 2000 until his overthrow on 8 December 2024. His presidency was characterized by authoritarian rule and the suppression of political dissent. His government faced mounting criticism for corruption, human rights abuses, and the violent crackdown on the 2011 protests, which eventually led to the outbreak of the Syrian civil war.^[4]

The war involved numerous international actors, with countries like Russia and Iran supporting Assad's regime, while opposition groups received backing from Western and regional powers.^[5] On 8 December 2024, after a series of offensives by the Syrian armed opposition,^[6] Assad was overthrown and imposed a self-exile along with his wife Asma al-Assad in Moscow, Russia, where he was granted asylum together with his family.^[1]

Immediately following the fall of Damascus, advancing rebel forces dispatched scouting teams to locate and apprehend Assad, and announced a 10 million US$ reward for information leading to his capture.^[7]

Handover demands

The first request for Russia to hand over Bashar al-Assad reportedly came in January 2025, during the first visit by a Russian delegation to Syria after the fall of the Assad regime. The request was allegedly made by then de facto leader Ahmed al-Sharaa, who later became president, to a Russian delegation led by Deputy Foreign Minister Mikhail Bogdanov.^[8] The Kremlin refused to comment on the matter.^[9]

In February 2025, Syrian Defense Minister Murhaf Abu Qasra was asked in an interview with The Washington Post whether President al-Sharaa had formally requested Assad's extradition. He declined to confirm but acknowledged that discussions about holding Assad accountable had taken place.^[10]

By early March 2025, Reuters reported that during the January meeting, Syrian officials had briefly raised the possibility of Assad returning to Syria but did not consider it a major obstacle to restoring relations. A senior Russian official stated that Moscow would not agree to extradite Assad and had not been formally asked to do so.^[11] On 10 March 2025, in an interview with Reuters, al-Sharaa declined to confirm whether he had made such a request to Moscow.^[12]

Meanwhile, on 6 March 2025, the Wall Street Journal, citing Syrian and European officials, reported that Russia was negotiating an agreement with Syria to maintain its military bases and secure various investment contracts. As part of these talks, Damascus allegedly requested Assad's handover, but Russia refused to discuss the issue.^[13]

On 22 March 2025, Al Arabiya reported, citing unnamed sources, that al-Sharaa had asked Russian President Vladimir Putin to hand over Assad for trial in Syria.^[14] On 7 April 2025, Russian Ambassador to Iraq Elbrus Kutrashev told the Islamic Republic News Agency that Assad's settlement in Moscow was conditional on his total withdrawal from media and political activities. He added that the asylum granted to Assad and his family had been personally ordered by Putin and would remain unchanged.^[15]

In an interview with The New York Times in April 2025, al-Sharaa said that Syrian officials requested Russia to extradite Assad as a condition for allowing their military presence in Syria, but Russia refused.^[16]

On 5 August 2025, Abdulbaset Abdullatif, head of the National Commission for Transitional Justice in Syria, stated in an interview with Al Arabiya that the commission was engaging with Interpol and all relevant international bodies to seek the legal prosecution of Bashar al-Assad, his brother Maher al-Assad—the former commander of the 4th Armoured Division—and additional individuals.^[17][a] However, Fadel Abdul Ghany, director of the Syrian Network for Human Rights, told Syria TV that the National Commission for Transitional Justice was not the competent authority to engage with Interpol regarding the prosecution of the former president. He explained that Interpol only processes such requests through the National Central Bureau of each member state, which in Syria is under the jurisdiction of the Ministry of Interior. Abdul Ghany added that direct contact from non-authorized bodies, whether by email or official correspondence, carries no legal weight and typically results only in a formal acknowledgment of receipt. He compared the situation to cases where individuals or organizations have submitted documents to the International Criminal Court and received nothing more than a confirmation of submission without legal effect.^[19]

See also

• Fall of the Assad regime
• Capture of Saddam Hussein and his trial
• Killing of Muammar Gaddafi

Notes

1. Maher al-Assad was reportedly spotted in Moscow in June 2025.^[18]