Sources revealed on Saturday that Syrian President Ahmed Al-Sharaa formally requested his Russian counterpart, Vladimir Putin, to hand over Bashar Al-Assad for trial in Syria.

Earlier this month, Reuters reported, citing diplomatic sources, that President Al-Sharaa had asked Russia for funds allegedly deposited in Moscow by the former regime leader. However, the sources confirmed that the Russian delegation, which recently visited Damascus, informed Al-Sharaa that Assad had not deposited any funds in Russia.

Regarding the possibility of Moscow handing over Bashar Al-Assad to Damascus, Reuters quoted a Russian source stating that Russia would not agree to extradite Assad, adding at the time that such a request had not been made in the first place.

During the Russian delegation's visit to Damascus, Syrian officials discussed the potential return of Assad to Syria. In a three-hour meeting with Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Mikhail Bogdanov, Syrian officials reportedly stated that Assad's return would not pose a significant obstacle to rebuilding relations, according to one source.