Social media accounts published a photo of the ousted Syrian President Bashar al-Assad and his wife Asma, claiming that it documents his first appearance with his family in Moscow after leaving Syria.
Kashif verified the image via “Google Images” tool and found that it was taken from an old video clip and that the claim is misleading, as the image documents Assad and his wife’s visit to the injured in the 2023 earthquake at Aleppo University Hospital.
The Syrian Arab News Agency (SANA) published a video clip on its account on “X” on 10/2/2023, from which the circulated image was cut from the first shot, and the video was accompanied by the following text: “President al-Assad addressing the medical staff at Aleppo University Hospital: This is patriotism, and this is heroism… This is Syria and this is Aleppo.”
The Syrian Ministry of Information also published the same video clip on its Facebook account on 10/2/2023, accompanied by the same description: “President Assad addressing the medical staff at Aleppo University Hospital: This is patriotism, this is heroism… This is Syria and this is Aleppo.”
The Syrian presidency published on its account on “X” on 10/2/2023 pictures of the deposed President Assad and his wife Asma during the visit, where the pictures were accompanied by the following text: “In the first stop of President Assad and Mrs. Asma al-Assad’s visit to the city of Aleppo, they headed to Aleppo University Hospital to check on the condition of those injured and affected by the earthquake and listened to them about their conditions and needs.”
The Russian Channel One reported on Sunday 8/12/2024, quoting the Kremlin, that asylum had been granted to the ousted Syrian President Bashar al-Assad and his family members for humanitarian reasons, and that he was in Moscow.
A 7.8-magnitude earthquake struck near the border between Turkey and Syria on 6/2/2023, followed by another earthquake, killing tens of thousands and injuring 10,000 people, in addition to destroying schools, hospitals and buildings.
| Sources of Claim | Sources of Verification |
One Karbala d. Muhammad Dakhoush Tamara N. Al Nahar The Karbalai Sadria | Syrian Arab News Agency “SANA” Syrian Ministry of Information Syrian Presidency Al Jazeera United Nations BBC |