After the Fall: Ministers and Allies Break Ties with Bashar al-Assad

As soon as Bashar al-Assad fled Syria and one of the Middle East's most brutal dictatorships fell, many officials from the former regime did not hesitate to confess to the Syrian people that they had lived under Assad's ‘Republic of Terror.’

Prominent officials from Assad's inner circle, who had been close to him for years, did not shy away from exposing his actions during his 24-year rule. This came after his downfall within just 11 days of a military operation in which opposition factions had allied to overthrow him.

On the morning of December 8, 2024, Bashar al-Assad fled to Russia under an arrangement made by the Russian government, marking the triumph of the Syrian revolution and the end of an era of tyranny that began in 1971 when his father, Hafez al-Assad, seized power through a military coup, subjecting the Syrian people to death, displacement, and devastation.

‘Leader of the Drug Network’

It was striking when the ousted Syrian ambassador to Saudi Arabia, Ayman Sosan, admitted in an interview with the opposition outlet Syria TV that Bashar al-Assad led a drug-smuggling network from Syria.

Sosan, who had served as the deputy foreign minister before assuming Assad's embassy in Riyadh in December 2023, acknowledged that they could not speak to Assad about drug trafficking to the Gulf, particularly Saudi Arabia.

“We couldn’t talk to him. We would discuss matters among ourselves but never brought them to his attention, knowing his mindset—it was all about him, and after him, chaos.”

In another interview with Saudi Arabia’s al-Hadath, Sosan said, “What happened in Syria was a genuine revolution [..] We are optimistic about Syria’s future.”

The most surprising condemnation of Bashar al-Assad and the exposure of his regime’s true nature, just hours after his escape, came from Bashar al-Jaafari, Assad’s ambassador to Russia and former permanent representative to the United Nations.

“The collapse of a corrupt system in a matter of days demonstrates its unpopularity and lack of support both in society and in the army,” al-Jaafari said in a press statement.

“The regime's leader fleeing in such a disgraceful and humiliating manner under the cover of darkness reflects his complete disregard for national responsibility.”

Al-Jaafari was often referred to by Syrians as “Musaylima the Liar” when he held the position of Assad's ambassador to the UN before becoming Deputy Foreign Minister and later the ambassador to Moscow.

Since the Syrian revolution began in 2011, al-Jaafari used his UN platform as Syria's permanent representative to vilify the uprising and deny the atrocities committed by Assad’s forces against the Syrian people.

At the time, al-Jaafari exuded hostility toward Syrians, not only distorting the reality of the killings, destruction, and displacement caused by Assad’s forces but also deliberately dropping “provocative bombs” that resonated across Syrian society.

During the Geneva III talks in January 2016, where al-Jaafari led the regime's delegation, he caused outrage by making a dismissive remark that mocked the Quran.

When asked about the regime’s stance on negotiations with the opposition, he stated, “There will be no negotiations. We are here for indirect discussions—a Syrian-to-Syrian dialogue without preconditions or foreign interference.”

Al-Jaafari then turned to journalists from opposition-affiliated Syrian media and, in a mocking tone, said, “Memorize this—it’s Al-Fatihah of our Quran ‘God Almighty has spoken the truth.’”

‘A Passed Era’

As for Najah al-Attar, the deputy to the ousted Bashar al-Assad and the one who famously said, “Syria is the homeland of the brave, and only a leader like Bashar al-Assad is worthy to lead it,” she came out in support of Assad’s fall, saying that “the era of autocratic regimes has ended for good.”

“The fall of the regime marks a pivotal moment in Syria’s history, and this phase must be the beginning of building a state of freedom, democracy, and law,” al-Attar said in a statement.

“Freedom is not given; it must be claimed. The Syrian people will no longer tolerate guardianship or tyranny, and the era of elites and autocratic rule is gone forever.”

“The new generation has rejected the oppression and tyranny that the ruling elites imposed for decades and has proven that the people are capable of claiming their rights to freedom and democracy,” she added.

In the early hours following the announcement of Bashar al-Assad’s downfall, Farouk al-Sharaa, Assad’s deputy until 2014, broke his long silence. Notably, he had not left Damascus since his dismissal and had never expressed opposition to Assad prior to the regime’s collapse.

Al-Sharaa welcomed “the change in Syria from north to south after the long suffering of the Syrian people,” in an interview with Syria TV.

‘Our Roles Were Peripheral’

Meanwhile, Mohammad Ghazi al-Jalali, the last prime minister under Bashar al Assad, confirmed Assad's escape from Damascus. In a televised interview, he revealed that their roles were peripheral, describing themselves as “just employees of the regime” and emphasizing the “barrier” between them and the president.

Justice Minister Ahmad al-Sayed, in turn, denied any knowledge of the atrocities taking place in the prisons and brutal facilities operated by Assad’s intelligence services, particularly the notorious Sednaya prison near Damascus.

The prison was “an arena” of horrific crimes, including the crushing of prisoners’ bodies with a hydraulic press to extract bodily fluids for easier transport and burial in mass graves at undisclosed locations.

“Shame on you for what you did to Syria, Bashar al-Assad,” he told Alhuurra.

Many Syrians were taken aback by comments from Rabie Qalaaji, the former Economy and Foreign Trade Minister under the ousted Assad regime. In a televised interview, he revealed that there was “no direct communication” between him and Assad, explaining that the tight security around the president made it impossible to reach him. Assad, he noted, only communicated through indirect channels. “What happened in Syria is a victory for the people,” Qalaaji said.

In response to the fall of the Assad regime, most Syrian embassies abroad raised the flag of the Syrian revolution on their buildings.

In fact, most Syrian artists and journalists who had previously supported Bashar al-Assad publicly declared their support for his downfall and for Syria’s liberation from the Assad family’s rule.

These individuals released statements and videos in which they declared their disassociation from the ousted Assad regime, saying they were living in the “Republic of Fear.”

They also posted the Syrian revolution flag on their personal social media accounts, and some even went to the Umayyad Square in central Damascus, proudly draping themselves in the revolution's flag.

On December 8, 2024, Syrian factions took control of the capital, Damascus, and several other cities, as the ousted regime’s forces withdrew from public institutions and streets. This marked the end of a 61-year era of Ba'ath Party rule and 53 years of the Assad family's reign.

On the second day following Bashar al-Assad's downfall, an interim government, led by Mohammed al-Bashir, took office. Al-Bashir was the head of the Salvation Government based in Idlib, affiliated with Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham.

On December 12, Ubaida Arnaout, spokesperson for the Syrian Interim Government's political affairs department, announced that the 2012 constitution and the parliament would be frozen during the three-month transitional period.

Speaking from the headquarters of the General Radio and TV in Damascus, Arnaout told AFP, “During a meeting with ministers from the Syrian Salvation Government and former ministers, we decided to transfer powers [..] This phase will last three months, while a new government is formed. During this time, both the constitution and the parliament will be frozen.”

He added that a legal and human rights committee would be formed to review and amend the constitution, with priorities focused on “protecting institutions, documents, and records, as well as addressing service-related challenges.”