Bashar al-Assad is living in Moscow under tight restrictions imposed by Russia nearly a year after fleeing Syria, with his movements limited and public appearances banned, according to multiple reports.

The former Syrian president, who fled Damascus on 8 December 2024 when forces led by now-interim President Ahmed al-Sharaa captured the capital, issued only one public statement eight days after his departure.

In that 16 December statement, al-Assad claimed his exit "was not pre-planned" and he intended to continue fighting, but Moscow insisted on his "immediate withdrawal".

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Since then, al-Assad has maintained near-total silence. His eldest son Hafez — named after Bashar's father, whose rule he inherited — released a video in mi

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