Audio Message Claiming Bashar Al-Assad Resigned as Syria's President Is Fake
The Claim
Bashar Al-Assad Resigned as Syria's President.
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After Bashar al-Assad fled Syria following the collapse of his regime, social media users circulated a video featuring an audio message from him.
In the recording, al-Assad announced his resignation as president of Syria and declared the termination of all agreements with Russia and Iran. He also apologized to the Syrian people for his and his family’s actions.
Misbar’s Analysis
Misbar investigated the circulating video and found the claim to be misleading.
Misbar’s team found the audio message of Bashar al-Assad to be AI-generated.
Audio Message Claiming Assad Resigned as Syria’s President Is Fake
Contrary to social media users’ recent circulation of the video, the audio message in it is fake.
Misbar’s thorough investigation confirmed that the footage is old and was created using AI software.
A YouTube channel uploaded the same video on September 2, 2023, with the original publisher clearly stating in the caption that it was artificially generated for entertainment purposes only.
On December 5, just days before the Assad regime collapsed, the Syrian Ministry of Information warned that a fabricated video created using artificial intelligence was circulating.
At the time, the ministry accused the video creators of producing it to falsely announce President Bashar al-Assad's resignation.
Bashar Al-Assad Flees Syria After Regime Is Toppled
Syrian President Bashar al-Assad's regime collapsed following a swift opposition advance into Damascus, which caught government forces off guard within 11 days.
Early Sunday morning, the opposition military command of the group Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) announced that Assad was no longer in the capital, declaring, “We declare the city of Damascus free of the tyrant Bashar al-Assad.”
The Russian Foreign Ministry confirmed in a statement on Sunday that Assad “decided to leave the presidential post and left the country, giving instructions to transfer power peacefully.”
Abu Mohammad al-Jolani, leader of the group Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), hailed the fall of the Assad regime after over 50 years of dictatorship as a “victory for the entire Islamic nation.”
Syrians at home and abroad celebrated Assad's removal with widespread jubilation.
Assad and his family arrived in Moscow after Russia granted them asylum for what state media described as “humanitarian reasons.”
A source close to the opposition told CNN that Assad fled Damascus under Russian protection, while another source reported that he initially traveled to Latakia in northwest Syria, home to a Russian airbase.
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