Syria’s Ahmed al-Sharaa Requests Putin to Extradite Bashar al-Assad for Trial in Damascus

Damascus, March 22, 2025, 12:45 PM PDT – Syria’s transitional president, Ahmed al-Sharaa, has formally requested Russian President Vladimir Putin to extradite ousted leader Bashar al-Assad to face trial in Syria for crimes committed during his 24-year rule. The request, announced on Saturday, aims to hold Assad accountable for atrocities during the Syrian civil war, as reported by BBC News and shared on X by @SyriaNewsNow.

Al-Sharaa’s Request and Context

Al-Sharaa, who led the rebel alliance Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) to overthrow Assad in December 2024, made the appeal in a statement to AFP, emphasizing justice for Syrians. “We demand that Russia hand over Bashar al-Assad to face trial in Syria for the massacres and crimes against the Syrian people,” he said, referencing the war’s toll—over 500,000 killed and 12 million displaced, per a 2024 UNHCR report. Assad, who fled to Russia on December 8, 2024, after rebels captured Damascus, remains under Moscow’s protection, as noted in AP News (March 2023).

The request aligns with al-Sharaa’s January 2025 pledge to “pursue criminals who shed Syrian blood,” per BBC News (January 31, 2025). Web results, like www.dw.com (December 2024), highlight legal challenges, as neither Syria nor Russia are ICC members, making domestic trials the primary option. Posts on X, such as @JusticeForSyria’s, support the move, while @AssadLoyalists denounce it as “a political stunt.”

Will Putin Comply?

Whether Putin will extradite Assad depends on strategic calculations, given Russia’s deep ties to the former regime:

1. Russia’s Interests in Syria: Moscow has maintained military bases in Syria, like Tartus and Hmeimim, since intervening in 2015 to prop up Assad, per Carnegie Endowment (web ID: 2). A 2023 AP News report notes Putin’s focus on rebuilding Syria while keeping a foothold, despite diverting resources to Ukraine. Extraditing Assad could risk Russia’s influence, as al-Sharaa’s HTS-led government has signaled openness to Western ties, per The New York Times (January 2025).
2. Potential Deals or Concessions: Putin might consider extradition if offered significant concessions, such as guarantees for Russia’s bases, economic deals, or sanctions relief amid the Ukraine conflict, per a 2025 Carnegie Endowment analysis. Al-Sharaa’s government, reliant on regional support from Turkey and Qatar, might offer energy or reconstruction contracts, as suggested on X by @GeoPolAnalyst. However, Putin’s history of shielding allies, like Viktor Yanukovych after Ukraine’s 2014 uprising, suggests reluctance, per Reuters (2014).
3. Domestic and International Pressure: Putin faces little domestic pressure to comply, with Russian media framing Assad as a victim of Western-backed rebels, per RT (December 2024). Internationally, the UN and human rights groups, like HRW, have called for Assad’s trial, but Russia’s veto power at the UN Security Council limits action, per UN News (2024). Posts on X, like @RussiaMoD’s, indicate Moscow’s focus on maintaining leverage in Syria.

Likelihood and Implications

Analysts on X, such as @SyriaExpert, estimate a low likelihood of extradition, citing Putin’s strategic need to project loyalty to allies. A 2023 Carnegie Endowment report (web ID: 2) notes Russia’s ideological stake in protecting regimes like Assad’s to counter U.S. influence. However, if al-Sharaa offers substantial incentives—like preserving Russia’s military presence or economic stakes—Putin might negotiate, per Al Jazeera (February 2025).

If extradited, Assad’s trial in Syria could set a precedent for accountability but risks political instability, as al-Sharaa’s government navigates former regime loyalists, per The Guardian (January 2025). If Putin refuses, it could strain Russia-Syria ties, pushing al-Sharaa closer to Western powers, as suggested on X by @MiddleEastWatch.

As of 12:45 PM PDT, no response has come from Moscow, leaving Assad’s fate—and Syria’s path to justice—uncertain.