Russia refuses to reconsider Bashar al-Assad asylum after death sentence
Russia just said "no" to reconsidering its decision to grant former Syrian President Bashar al-Assad political asylum, who was sentenced to death in absentia by a Syrian court this August for murder, torture, and crimes against humanity.
Assad has been living in Russia since he was ousted in 2024, and the Russian government is standing firm on keeping him there.
Georgy Borisenko calls Assad asylum humanitarian
According to Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Georgy Borisenko, granting Assad asylum is a done deal: he called it a humanitarian decision and made sure Syria knows where things stand.
This isn't out of the blue: Russia has backed Assad for years, starting with the Syrian civil war in 2011.
Even though there's tension over Assad's possible extradition, both countries are still working together: Russia plans to convert its former military bases in Syria into joint training centers as part of ongoing cooperation expected to continue through 2026.