The interim president of Syria will ask Russia for the extradition of former president Bashar al-Assad, exiled in Moscow.

The interim president of Syria, Ahmad al-Sharaa, is making a visit to Russia, where he will request the extradition of former president Bashar al-Assad, who was ousted from power on December 8, 2024. Al-Sharaa, leader of an Islamist coalition, has arrived in Moscow to meet with Russian president Vladimir Putin. Following the fall of his regime, Assad sought refuge in Russia, where he was hospitalized in critical condition after being poisoned, according to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights. After nine days of hospitalization, he was discharged and is now in stable condition. This visit marks al-Sharaa's first public appearance as interim leader.