Al-Assad’s Ambassador to Russia and former long-time Ambassador to the UN, Bashar Al-Jaafari, changed allegiance and “celebrated the change” in regime with Syrian expats in Moscow. In his address, he said that they were celebrating the victory of the will of the Syrian people, who ousted the oppressive rule and the beginning of a new, optimistic era. Al-Jaafari said that the new rule should focus on prosperity, love, peace, and reconstruction. He criticized Al-Assad’s regime, which he had previously supported, and said that at no point was there really any regime under Al-Assad; rather, it was a “corrupt mafia system” that served its own personal goals. Sawt Beirut International broadcast video of this gathering on December 24, 2024.