Will The Kremlin Send Assad To Belarus?

The former dictator has become a stumbling block in the negotiations between Russia and the new Syrian authorities.

After the collapse of his regime, the tyrant flew to Moscow. Now Damascus is demanding Assad's extradition to bring him to trial.

Russia, which is interested in at least partially preserving its position in Syria, does not want to refuse. But it does not want to extradite its ally either — this entails reputational losses in the eyes of other “friends”.

According to available information, the Kremlin is considering the option of moving Assad to Belarus. This, in Moscow's opinion, will allow it to remove the problematic issue in the negotiations with the current Syrian leadership.

At first glance, Aliaksandr Lukashenka is not risking much. He has no special interests in Syria. But he has sympathy for Bashar al-Assad: “He is not a dictator. He treated people like a doctor. He never killed anyone.”

In addition, Lukashenka already has relevant experience. After his overthrow, the former head of Kyrgyzstan, Kurmanbek Bakiyev, ended up in Belarus and was treated kindly here.

The deal on Assad looks like a convenient pretext for Lukashenka to shake a significant amount out of Putin. But side effects are also possible.

The fact is that Assad's regime was not only a tyranny, but also a drug empire that earned huge amounts of money from the production of Captagon. This “cocaine for the poor” has become very popular in the Middle East in recent years.

Syria became the center of production of the synthetic drug. Captagon was manufactured and sold in such quantities that it would have been impossible without the participation of the authorities. According to press reports, the Syrian state security agencies, the Fourth Armored Division, and even Maher Assad, Bashar's younger brother, were directly involved in the drug trade. Obviously, the dictator himself was not ignorant and, at a minimum, sanctioned the Captagon business.

There is a high probability that the new Syrian authorities will expose the criminal schemes of the Assads and their entourage, presenting evidence and accusations at the official level. Of course, there is little that can damage Lukashenka's image. But it is one thing to give asylum to a former head of state, and quite another to the head of a drug empire.

Vasil Veras, Solidarity

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