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Former Syrian president Bashar al-Assad on Monday issued his first statement since his regime fell over a week ago and denied a "planned" departure from the country that his family ruled for nearly five decades.
In a statement from Russia, where he fled after rebels headed by the Islamist Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) reached the Syrian capital Damascus on December 8 and forced his military to abandon tanks and other equipment, Assad called the country's new leaders "terrorists".
The 59-year-old, now granted asylum in Russia by President Vladimir Putin, said he had remained in Damascus, carrying out his duties until the early hours of December 8.
"My departure from Syria was neither planned nor did it occur during the final hours of the battles," said a statement published on the Syrian presidency's Telegram channel.
"At no point during these events did I consider stepping down or seeking refuge, nor was such a proposal made by any individual party," Assad said.
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He said as "terrorist forces infiltrated" Damascus, he moved to Latakia - where Russia operates a naval base - with the help of his "Russian allies to oversee combat operations".
Russia is one of Assad's closest friends and has also helped him during the Syrian civil war, which broke out in 2011.
Assad said when he arrived at the Russian air base of Hmeimim that morning, "it became clear that our forces had completely withdrawn from all battle lines and that the last army positions had fallen".
"With no viable means of leaving the base, Moscow requested that the base's command arrange an immediate evacuation to Russia on the evening of December 8. This took place a day after the fall of Damascus, following the collapse of the final military positions and the resulting paralysis of all remaining state institutions," he said in a statement.
"As terrorism spread across Syria and ultimately reached Damascus on the evening of December 7, questions arose about the president's fate and whereabouts. This occurred amidst a flood of misinformation and narratives far removed from the truth, aimed at recasting international terrorism as a liberation revolution for Syria," the statement read.
According to reports, Assad confided in almost no one about his plans to flee Syria, and his aides, officials and even relatives were deceived or kept in the dark.
Assad also said he is unapologetic about his years in power, saying he considered himself the "custodian" of a national project backed by Syrians.
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"I have carried an unwavering conviction in their will and ability to protect the state, defend its institutions, and uphold their choices to the very last moment," his statement said.
"When the state falls into the hands of terrorism and the ability to make a meaningful contribution is lost, any position becomes void of purpose, rendering its occupation meaningless," he added.