Fact Check: Ousted Syrian president Bashar al-Assad seen in Moscow? No, the images are old

Hyderabad: The Syria crisis has reached a significant turning point as Bashar al-Assad’s regime has reportedly been toppled after over a decade of civil war. Rebel forces, led by the Islamist group Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), launched a rapid offensive, seizing major cities, including Damascus. The collapse of Assad’s government marks the end of his family’s 50-year rule. Reports suggest Assad fled to Moscow, where Russia, a longstanding ally, may grant him asylum.

In this context, several images of Bashar al-Assad have been circulating on social media, claiming that these show him in Russia after he fled Syria.

Image 1

An image purportedly shows Assad and his wife, Asma al-Assad, accompanied by three others walking through a corridor. Those sharing the image claim it is the couple’s first appearance in Moscow following their reported flight from Syria amid the regime’s collapse.

An X user shared the image and wrote, “Bashar al Assad and his wife Asma appeared in Moscow. Finally good news. They were not on the plane that crashed in Syria. Their children are now studying in China. They still can live a peaceful life in Moscow or Beijing like normal people.” (Archive)

Fact Check

NewsMeter found the claim is false as the image is old and unrelated to the current crisis.

We reviewed the post and found comments from users pointing out that the image is old.

Following this lead, we conducted a reverse image search and found the viral image along with another photo of Assad and Asma meeting an injured person. These were shared by Turkish journalist Ragıp Soylu on December 9. Soylu clarified that the viral image is not from Moscow.

The journalist said that the photos were taken during Assad’s visit to earthquake-hit areas in Syria in 2023. He also drew attention to the couple’s outfits which are the same in both images, confirming that the photos were taken during the same event.

We also found the same visuals in a video posted by the verified YouTube channel Syria Stream on February 10, 2023. The channel stated that the video shows Assad’s visit to earthquake victims in Aleppo. The visuals matching the viral image can be seen at the 10-second mark.

Image 2

An image of Assad entering a hall with Russian president Vladimir Putin has gone viral. An X user shared the image and wrote, “BREAKING: President Assad of Syria has arrived safely in Moscow with his family.”

Fact Check

NewsMeter found that the claim is misleading as the image is from Russia but was not taken this year.

After a reverse image search, we found the image in news reports from 2015 including Reuters, The Wall Street Journal and ABC News. According to the reports, the image shows Putin and Assad entering a hall during a meeting at the Kremlin in Moscow, Russia, on October 20, 2015.

Image 3

An image of Assad shaking hands with Putin is also in circulation. A user on X shared it and wrote, “Assad is in Moscow Now.” (Archive)

NewsMeter found that the claim is false as this image too was taken on the same day as the previous image, in 2015.

A reverse image search led us to reports from 2015 by NDTV, The Indian Express and The Times of Israel. The reports featured the viral image, stating that it shows Putin greeting his Syrian counterpart, Bashar al-Assad, during a meeting at the Kremlin in Moscow on October 20, 2015.

Therefore, we conclude that the first image is from 2023, while the second and third images were taken on the same day at the Kremlin in Moscow in 2015.