Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) spokesperson Farhad Shami has issued a statement denying as completely false certain allegations made by Al Jazeera that the SDF helped Bashar al-Assad's brother Maher flee the country, saying that they appear to be "part of a campaign to incite against our forces" and the people of the region.
Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) spokesperson Farhad Shami has issed a disclaimer refuting as entirely false certain claims made by Al Jazeera, saying that they appear to be “part of a campaign to incite against our forces” and the people of North and East Syria.
On 13 December, six days after Bashar al-Assad fled Syria for Russia, the news channel published a report based on Iraqi sources, alleging that Maher al-Assad, Bashar’s brother and the commander of Syria’s 4th Army Division, had left the country with the cooperation and assistance of the SDF via routes leading through northeast Syria.
Al Jazeera’s sources claimed that following Bashar al-Assad’s escape to Moscow on Sunday, his brother Maher left Damascus accompanied by officers of the Iranian Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC), and travelled to northeast Syria via secret routes allegedly used for “the smuggling of weapons and drugs, under the control of the 4th Division”. According to the same sources, Maher subsequently travelled to Iraq with the assistance of the SDF, whom they called “a partner of the group led by Maher in the drugs trade”. However, Al Jazeera provided nothing to substantiate or verify these claims. The Swedish Information Center (SCI) also echoed this report without independently verifying its credibility.
In response to the Al Jazeera report, Farhad Shami issued a statement on his X account, refuting the claims: “Al Jazeera Net recently published false information alleging that Maher al-Assad fled to Iraq through the north and eastern [regions] of Syria, facilitated by our forces. This claim is entirely false and appears to be part of a campaign to incite against our forces and the people of north and eastern Syria.”
Stating that the Deir ez-Zor (Dêrazor) border gate was open and the Al-Qaim border crossing between Syria and Iraq “fully operational”, He noted that over three thousand Ba’athist officers and soldiers had already fled from the Deir ez-Zor area and the Syrian desert to Iraq, Shami further added: “There was no need for any smuggling routes, contrary to the claims made by Al Jazeera Net.”
Addressing another allegation from Al Jazeera, which accused the SDF of being involved in drug trafficking, Shami responded: “These allegations stem from a deep animosity by the editor towards our regions and people. In reality, the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) have been the sole force combating the regime’s cells and drug traffickers, conducting numerous operations to pursue these criminals, confiscate their materials, and destroy their networks.”
Shami concluded by urging all media outlets to exercise “accuracy and objectivity in their reporting, especially during these challenging times for Syria and its people”, adding, “It is crucial to avoid disseminating information that lacks logical basis and adheres to journalistic ethics.”