Following the fall of the Assad regime, the world continues to uncover the horrific crimes that the dictator has carried out in Syria. The latest being the discovery of fifteen civilians murdered "under brutal torture" in the Sednaya prison, located about 30 kilometers north of Damascus.
The Syrian Civil Defense, known as the White Helmets, arrived at this prison on Monday, which was managed by the Syrian Military Police and known for the use of torture against thousands of prisoners, to rescue detainees in possible hidden underground cells.
In this prison, which reportedly housed between 10,000 and 20,000 detainees, according to estimates by Amnesty International, the use of torture and excessive force came to light after a prisoner uprising in 2008.
On Sunday, the insurgents declared Damascus "free," and the Syrian President, Bashar al-Assad, fled to Moscow with his family as part of an insurgent offensive that began on November 27 and was led by the Levantine Liberation Body (Hayat Tahrir al Sham or HTS, in Arabic), the heir of the former Syrian branch of Al Qaeda.
Czech Republic sees the fall of Al Assad as an opportunity for the return of Syrian refugees
The conservative government of the Czech Republic considers that the fall of Bashar al-Assad's regime in Syria could be an opportunity for Syrian refugees in Europe to return to their home country, reported the CT24 news channel on Tuesday. "This situation could be an opportunity for better living conditions in Syria in the future than under the Al Assad government," said Czech Prime Minister Petr Fiala.
Currently, there are between 2,000 and 3,000 Syrian refugees in the Czech Republic, who arrived after the civil war in the Middle Eastern country, which began in 2011 with anti-government protests.
Bashar Al Assad's in-laws have left their home in London
The in-laws of the deposed Syrian President, Bashar al-Assad, left their home in northwest London over a week ago, as reported by some British newspapers, according to Efe.
'The Sun' recently published that the cardiologist Fawaz Akhras left his modest terraced house in the North Acton neighborhood, while his wife, former diplomat Shar Otri, had already been absent for some time, according to neighbors and acquaintances.
Akhras and Otri are the parents of Asma Al Assad, born in London in 1975 and educated in the UK until her marriage in 2000 to the deposed Syrian president.
A neighbor told 'The Sun' that "the house has been empty for a week." "They are usually around, so I think they must be hiding somewhere," he added. According to this source, the cardiologist "had been alone for the last four months, his wife no longer lived here."
Qatar establishes an airlift to deliver food and medical aid to Syria
Qatar has established an airlift to send food and medical aid to Syria as a gesture of support to the Syrian population following the overthrow of President Bashar al-Assad's regime, as reported by a statement from the Qatari Foreign Ministry on Tuesday, according to Efe.
The first plane, "chartered by the Qatari Armed Forces, carrying food, medical, and shelter supplies, landed today in the Turkish city of Gaziantep," from where the humanitarian aid will be transported to Syria. This first plane "is part of an airlift operated by the State of Qatar to provide relief to our brothers in the sister Arab Republic of Syria and contribute to addressing their humanitarian conditions," the statement said.
Assad's fall reveals Russia's military limitations due to its offensive in Ukraine
The collapse of Bashar al-Assad's Syrian government, a Moscow ally, dealt a blow to Russia's global image of strength and exposed the limits of its military capacity amid its offensive in Ukraine, as reported by Afp. Russia helped keep Al Assad in power by intervening in the Syrian civil war in 2015, but with its forces concentrated in Ukraine, its ability to protect its ally was diminished.
Rebels stormed into Damascus on Sunday after a lightning offensive of less than two weeks that toppled the regime and forced Al Assad to flee. Russian news agencies reported that he was granted asylum in Moscow.
It is now unclear if Russia will be able to maintain control of its naval base in the Mediterranean in the Syrian port of Tartus, or its airbase in Hmeimim, which would result in losing its strategic presence in the region. "Moscow does not have enough military forces, resources, influence, and authority to effectively intervene outside the former Soviet Union," said analyst Ruslan Pujov in an article for the Russian newspaper Kommersant.
Italy joins the suspension of asylum procedures for Syrian citizens
The Italian government announced on Monday night that it is joining the suspension of asylum procedures for Syrian citizens following the fall of the regime of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, who has fled the country and is now in Russia, as reported by Europa Press.
Italy's position came hours after several European countries (Germany, France, Austria, the United Kingdom, Belgium, and the Nordic countries) made this decision. The office of Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni stated that they will "closely monitor the situation, in close contact with the main regional, European, and G7 partners."
Meloni presided over a meeting after the Cabinet meeting to assess the situation in Syria and, "given that fighting continues in some regions of Syria," reiterated the "absolute priority of protecting civilians and the need to ensure a peaceful and inclusive transition," according to a statement.
Switzerland suspends asylum procedures for Syrians following Assad's fall
The Swiss government announced that it is suspending asylum procedures for Syrians until it can better assess the situation in the Middle Eastern country following the rebels' takeover of Damascus and the escape of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad to Russia, as reported by Reuters.
The State Secretariat for Migration said on Monday night that it could not currently conduct a thorough check on whether there are grounds for asylum for Syrians or if it would be reasonable to execute a deportation order for them. "The secretariat is suspending asylum procedures and decisions for asylum seekers from Syria with immediate effect until the situation can be reassessed," it said.
Israeli military incursion into Syria reaches 25 kilometers southwest of Damascus
An Israeli military incursion in southern Syria reached about 25 kilometers southwest of the capital, Damascus, said on Tuesday two regional security sources and a Syrian security source, as reported by Reuters.
The Syrian security source stated that Israeli troops reached Qatana, which is located 10 kilometers inside Syrian territory east of a demilitarized zone separating the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights from Syria.
Iran says Israeli advance in Syrian Golan is a "violation" of the law
Iran condemned as a "violation" of international law the Israeli army's incursion into the Golan demilitarized zone, an area under UN control around the part annexed by Israel of this Syrian territory, as reported by Afp.
"This aggression is a flagrant violation of the United Nations Charter," said Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmail Baqai in a statement released on Monday night.
Syrian rebel leader announces he will disclose a list of authorities "involved in torturing the people"
The rebels who took control of the Syrian government will publish a list of authorities "involved in torturing the Syrian people," announced their leader, Ahmad al Shareh, on Tuesday, as reported by Afp.
"We will announce a list that will include the names of the highest officials involved in torturing the Syrian people," wrote rebel leader Abu Mohamed al Jolani on Telegram, who now uses his real name, Al Shareh.
"We will offer rewards to anyone who provides information about senior military and security officials involved in war crimes," he stated. He added that "we will pursue war criminals and request that they be handed over from the countries they fled to."