Syria Demands the Extradition of Bashar Assad from Russia

The new authorities of Syria have demanded the extradition of the country's former president, Bashar al-Assad, from Russia. This is reported by Reuters, citing a source familiar with the negotiations between the two countries.

According to the agency, the demand was put forward by the leader of the "Hay'at Tahrir al-Sham" (HTS) group, Ahmed al-Sharaan.

Russian presidential press secretary Dmitry Peskov declined to comment on this information to Reuters.

A Russian delegation, led by Deputy Foreign Minister Mikhail Bogdanov, arrived in Syria on January 28. This marks the first visit of a Russian delegation to Syria since the change of government occurred in the country.

According to the Syrian news agency SANA, the new Syrian administration has demanded compensation during negotiations with Russia. During the talks, the new authorities of Syria stated that "the restoration of relations must take into account past mistakes, respect the will of the Syrian people, and serve their interests."

On December 8, following Bashar al-Assad's flight from Syria, the Russian Foreign Ministry announced that he had resigned from the presidency and left the country. Russian President Vladimir Putin has granted asylum to Assad and his family.