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Lavrov denies any recent discussion on Assad’s extradition

1 min Antoine Khoury

Russia’s Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said the issue of extraditing former Syrian president Bashar al-Assad has not been discussed in recent talks between Moscow and Damascus. 

Bashar al-Assad © Mena Today 

Bashar al-Assad © Mena Today 

Russia’s Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said the issue of extraditing former Syrian president Bashar al-Assad has not been discussed in recent talks between Moscow and Damascus. 

Speaking to Turkish broadcaster TRT, Lavrov said the matter “has not been raised for a long time,” without confirming whether Syria’s new authorities have dropped any pursuit of Assad.

Lavrov added that Russia’s partners are “fully aware of the circumstances” surrounding Assad’s arrival in Russia with his family in December 2024. Despite the remarks, it remains unclear whether the new Syrian government is seeking extradition or whether Moscow has rejected any such request.

Since the fall of the previous regime on December 8, 2024, Syria’s current president Ahmad al-Sharaa has visited Moscow several times. Recent talks again addressed the future of Russian military bases in Syria.

Antoine Khoury

Antoine Khoury

Antoine Khoury is based in Beirut and has been reporting for Mena Today for the past year. He covers news from Lebanon, Syria, Jordan, and Turkey, and is widely regarded as one of the region’s leading experts

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