Russian ruler Vladimir Putin will seek revenge for the fall of Bashar al-Assad’s regime in Syria, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said on social media.
On 8 December, Bashar al-Assad, who ruled Syria for 24 years, fled the country. This marks a major setback for Russia, whose military intervention over the past ten years sustained Bashar al-Assad’s regime in exchange for access to the Tartus port and Khmeimim airbase for operations in the Middle East and Africa.
In the latest statement, Zelenskyy noted that Assad’s regime had survived for decades solely through violence.
“All the regimes supported by Putin operate the same way. We have seen similar prisons, torture chambers, unspeakable violence, humiliation, beatings, torture, rape, and other crimes in every settlement occupied by Russian invaders,” the Ukrainian leader emphasized.
Last week, dramatic photos and videos shocked the world, showing Syrian opposition forces opening prison cells in Saydnaya prison, where the Assad dynasty held prisoners for decades, Reuters reports.
One video revealed a young child apparently held with their mother in a cell.
According to Zelenskyy, Russia is a “prison state” that can only control stolen lands due to a network of prisons and torture chambers.
“Since the beginning of Russian occupation, tanks have always been followed by repression and torture. We first saw this in Crimea in 2014, where Russian occupation brought repression against the indigenous people—the Crimean Tatars, Ukraine’s largest Muslim community—as well as journalists and political activists,” Zelenskyy reminded.
Russia then continued its horrific human rights violations in occupied Donbas, including the infamous “Isoliatsia” prison.
First public photos of Russian-run Donetsk concentration camp leaked online
Since February 2022, these practices have expanded to all occupied territories, with atrocities escalating in scale and brutality.
“That’s why we, Ukrainians, are deeply moved when we see Syrians emerging from Assad’s prisons and torture chambers,” Zelenskyy stated.
He claimed that dictators like Assad cannot survive without other dictators like Putin.
“Putin will try to avenge Assad’s fall,” he stressed.
In light of this, Zelenskyy emphasized the need for unity and strength to confront regimes that sow humiliation and leave behind only suffering, pain, and ruin.
“By helping Ukraine in its struggle against Russian dictatorship, the international community is aiding many other regions in the world to restore security and protect them against violence,” the Ukrainian president said.
He underlined that the horrific atrocities and human rights violations must not go unpunished.
“Ultimately, only Putin and Assad deserve to be in prison—not the innocent people they have imprisoned for years,” Zelenskyy concluded.
Earlier, he said that the regime of Bashar al-Assad fell in Syria because nearly 800,000 Russian troops were taken to the war against Ukraine.
Related:
- Syria’s Assad flees Damascus as opposition forces take control of capital
- Ukrainian intel: Russia evacuates military bases as Assad regime falls in Syria
- Ukraine on Assad’s downfall: All who side with Putin will face this, for he always betrays
- Assad’s collapse shatters Russian global power dreams
