Assad likely illegally transferred $135 billion to Russia, according to Turkiye Gazetesi.

According to Turkiye Gazetesi on December 10, former intelligence officer Khalid Beyé stated that during his escape, Bashar Assad transported $135 billion worth of assets to Russia.

"The Assad family transferred the country's resources into their own pockets during the years of civil war," Beyé declared. "When the regime fell, they took a significant portion of the country's economy with them."

As reported by Turkiye Gazetesi, these claims have drawn the attention of the international community, with many questioning the origins of these assets and how the Assad family, now in exile in Moscow, will manage them.

It is also unclear whether legal actions will be initiated to reclaim the assets.

Previously, Alexey Zhuralyov, deputy chairman of the Russian State Duma's defense committee, called for the former Syrian president Bashar Assad, who reportedly sought asylum in Russia, to be granted Russian citizenship.

On December 10, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky addressed the world, highlighting the atrocities committed by Assad against the Syrian people.

He pointed out the similarities between the regimes of Assad and Putin and urged the world to unite in the fight against dictatorial regimes.

"This year's Human Rights Day is accompanied by horrific images of Syrian prisons and torture chambers that were uncovered after Assad's escape. People were humiliated there for many years. Men and women. They were beaten, tortured, raped. Thousands and thousands of people have gone through this factory of violence," wrote Zelensky on Telegram.

He noted that Assad's regime has relied solely on violence for decades.

"And this is true for all regimes supported by Putin. We have seen the same prisons, torture chambers, unspeakable violence, humiliation, beatings, torture, rape, and other crimes on our territory in every settlement occupied by the Russians."

"This is why we, Ukrainians, are so moved when we see Syrians emerging from Assad's prisons and torture chambers. Assad and Putin are not just a vassal and a suzerain. They are accomplices in violence. Dictators like Assad cannot survive without dictators like Putin. And Putin will try to avenge Assad's downfall," Zelensky emphasized.

"By helping Ukraine fight against Russian dictatorship, the international community is aiding many other regions of the world in restoring security and achieving protection from violence," Zelensky stressed.

Background. Recall that the Financial Times reported that the family of Bashar Assad acquired at least 20 luxury apartments in Moscow City for $40 million.