The former president of Syria, Bashar Assad, who found refuge in Russia, was offered citizenship. This was announced by the first deputy chairman of the Defense Committee of the State Duma of Russia, Alexei Zhuravlyov he stated.
“Every year, close to seven hundred thousand people receive Russian passports and believe me, the majority of them are not famous people. Russia treats all its allies humanely, even those who have been defeated. This significantly differs from the US, which quickly discards its friends when they are no longer needed. Therefore, if Yanukovych was able to obtain Russian citizenship, why shouldn’t Assad be given citizenship as well, considering the considerable work he has done for Russia?” said Zhuravlyov.
According to “Financial Times” data, Assad and his close relatives already own properties in Russia. Specifically, Assad’s family and close relatives bought at least 19 apartments in “Moscow-City” in 2019, with a total value of 40 million dollars. The former state leader's brother, Hafez Makhlouf, owns 13 apartments, and the wife of Assad’s cousin, Rami Makhlouf, keeps two residential properties in her possession. The former president's cousins have purchased four more properties.
