Former Syrian President Bashar al-Assad and his relatives have arrived in Moscow and have been granted asylum by the Russian government, Russian state news agency TASS reported on Sunday, citing a Kremlin source.
According to state media outlet RIA Novosti, Moscow granted asylum to Assad “for humanitarian reasons.”
Assad’s whereabouts had not previously been reported. Earlier on Sunday, the Russian Foreign Ministry reported that he had “stepped down as president and left Syria.”
“Following negotiations between Mr. Assad and several participants in the armed conflict on the territory of the Syrian Arab Republic, he made the decision to step down as president and leave the country, issuing instructions to ensure a peaceful transfer of power. Russia did not participate in these negotiations,” the ministry said.
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