Al-Shara to request Assad's extradition during Russia visit

Syrian President Ahmed al-Shara is expected to visit Russia. Reports in the Syrian press, citing unnamed officials, state that Syrian President al-Shara will visit the Russian capital, Moscow, tomorrow, and that he will demand the extradition of Bashar al-Assad to his country to stand trial for war crimes he committed.

It was also stated that during his meetings, al-Shara will hold discussions regarding Russia's presence at the Tartus Naval Base and the Hmeimim Air Base.

ARREST WARRANT ISSUED

Last week, Syria issued an arrest warrant in absentia for Assad, who has been taking refuge in Russia since December 2024. Judge Tawfiq al-Ali of the 7th Investigation Court of Syria announced that the charges against Assad include intentional homicide, torture resulting in death, and deprivation of liberty. Judge al-Ali stated, "We issued the arrest warrant following a lawsuit filed by the relatives of those who lost their lives in Daraa on November 23, 2011. The case is of a nature that can be disseminated internationally via Interpol and can also be pursued externally. The decision paves the way for the prosecution of those responsible for systematic violations. The legal process will continue until all perpetrators of the crimes committed by the regime are reached."

WHAT HAPPENED IN DARAA?

The events that began in Daraa in 2011 ignited the popular movements in Syria. After students wrote anti-regime slogans on walls, security forces detained and subjected the youths to torture. This situation drew a major public reaction and led to mass protests. The violent suppression of the demonstrations resulted in the deaths and injuries of hundreds of people, and the protests spread across the country in a short time. The reaction of the public, who initially took to the streets with demands for reform, quickly turned into a demand for the overthrow of the regime. The aforementioned developments in Daraa went down in history as the beginning of the civil war and humanitarian crisis in Syria that continued for years.