Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa intends to demand that Russia extradite former ruler Bashar al-Assad during his first official visit to Moscow on Wednesday, an anonymous government source told AFP.

"Sharaa will ask the Russian president to extradite all individuals who have committed war crimes and are in Russia, primarily Bashar al-Assad," — the source said, noting that he was not authorized to speak to the press.

Assad, who was overthrown in December 2024, sought refuge in Moscow. Syria's state news agency, SANA, reported that al-Sharaa arrived in Russia for "an official visit to hold talks with his Russian counterpart, Vladimir Putin, on bilateral relations, as well as regional and international developments of mutual interest."

An AFP source also reported that on Tuesday, al-Sharaa and Putin will discuss "economic issues related to investments, the status of Russian bases in Syria, and the rearmament of the new Syrian army." Russia was a key ally of Assad during the 14-year civil war, providing diplomatic support at the UN Security Council and military intervention in 2015, including intensive airstrikes on rebel-held areas.

Despite this, Syria's new Islamist rulers seek peaceful relations with Russia. However, the fate of Russian military bases in Tartus and Khmeimim remains uncertain since Assad's overthrow. Al-Sharaa, who heads the transitional government, previously declared a strategic partnership with Moscow, but now demands justice for the crimes of the Assad regime.