The Image Allegedly Featuring Assad's Passport is Digitally Altered

Misbar investigated the circulating image and found the claim to be fake.

Misbar's team found that the image was a digitally altered version taken from a Wikipedia page about Russian internal passports, specifically depicting the second page of the document.

Upon closer inspection of the claim and the original image, the series and number on the passport, highlighted in the blue box, are identical, which is impossible since each passport must have a unique serial number. Additionally, the claim states that Bashar Al-Assad's place of birth is Arkhangelsk, highlighted in the yellow box, which is incorrect; he was born in Damascus, Syria.

Bashar al-Assad Claims Unplanned Departure from Syria Amidst Regime Collapse

Ousted Syrian President Bashar al-Assad stated that his departure from the country was unplanned, according to a message posted on the Syrian Presidency Telegram account on Monday, allegedly from Assad himself. The statement claims that on the morning of December 8, he moved to Russia’s airbase in Hmeimim after being requested to evacuate due to an attack on the base.

It remains uncertain whether Assad still controls the Telegram account, but if the statement is genuine, it would be his first public comment since his regime's fall earlier this month. The message asserts, “My departure from Syria was neither planned nor did it occur during the final hours of the battles, as some have claimed. On the contrary, I remained in Damascus, carrying out my duties until the early hours of Sunday, December 8, 2024.” Assad reportedly learned upon arriving at Hmeimim that “the last army positions had fallen.” 

He claimed that Moscow requested an immediate evacuation to Russia on the evening of December 8, following the fall of Damascus and the collapse of remaining military positions.

The statement emphasized that at no point did he consider stepping down or seeking refuge, insisting that the only option was to continue fighting against what he termed a terrorist onslaught. Assad expressed that his role as president became “void of purpose” once the country was overtaken by “terrorists,” stating, “When the state falls into the hands of terrorism and the ability to make a meaningful contribution is lost, any position becomes void of purpose, rendering its occupation meaningless.” On December 8, Syrian rebels declared Damascus “liberated” after encountering little resistance from regime forces. Following this, Assad and his family arrived in Moscow after being granted asylum in Russia for “humanitarian reasons,” according to state media.

The Kremlin emphasized the importance of securing its military bases and diplomatic missions in Syria and noted that it has maintained contact with the new leadership in Damascus. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov stated, “We must maintain contact with those who are controlling the situation on the ground because, as I mentioned, we have facilities and personnel there,” but he did not provide details about the number of Russian troops in Syria or the status of potential evacuations.

Biden Administration Engages with Rebel Leader in Syria Amid Ongoing Turmoil

President Joe Biden has dispatched senior diplomats to Damascus to meet with Abu Mohammad al-Golani, the leader of the Islamist rebels responsible for overthrowing Syria’s dictator Bashar al-Assad, despite the group being designated a terrorist organization by the U.S.

The delegation, led by Barbara Leaf, the State Department’s senior Middle East official, includes Roger Carstens, the U.S. special envoy for hostages, and Daniel Rubenstein, who is tasked with diplomatic engagement with Syria. This Friday's meeting will mark the first formal in-person contact between U.S. officials and leaders of Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, the group that spearheaded the recent offensive against Assad’s regime. The Financial Times was the first to report on Leaf's upcoming meeting with al-Golani in Damascus.

The visit coincides with al-Golani, who now goes by his birth name Ahmed al-Sharaa, calling on Western nations to lift sanctions on Syria. The U.S. is attempting to prevent terrorist organizations, including ISIS, from exploiting the power vacuum created by Assad’s downfall. U.S. officials have indicated they might reconsider HTS’s terrorist designation, in place since 2018, and sanctions on the Syrian government if the group demonstrates a commitment to “inclusive” governance and stability.

“If you don’t want that isolation, then there are certain things that you have to do to move the country forward in an inclusive way... to address some of the security challenges, whether it’s chemical weapons or groups like ISIS,” stated Antony Blinken, the U.S. Secretary of State, during an event in New York on Wednesday. The U.S. delegation follows recent visits to Damascus by officials from France, Germany, and the U.K. “It’s important to have direct communication,” Blinken remarked to Bloomberg on Thursday.

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