Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy shared a speech on Human Rights Day, drawing parallels between the atrocities committed under Bashar al-Assad’s rule in Syria and those carried out by Russian forces in Ukraine. Zelenskyy highlighted his country’s solidarity with the Syrian people and condemned the alliance between Assad and Russian President Vladimir Putin, calling both leaders “accomplices in violence.”
“The ‘brave’ Assad ran away to Putin. Where will Putin run away?” Zelenskyy asked, referencing Assad’s flight to Moscow following the collapse of his regime.
Zelenskyy described Assad’s rule as one of unrelenting violence, highlighting the horrors of Syrian prisons and torture chambers, which have been uncovered since Assad’s departure. “Men and women were beaten, tortured, and raped,” he said. “Thousands upon thousands of people passed through this violence factory.” He likened Assad’s reign to Russian practices in Ukraine, stating, “This is what all Putin-backed regimes look like.”
Drawing from Ukraine’s own experience with Russian occupation, Zelenskyy detailed the atrocities committed in territories seized by Moscow, from Crimea to Donbas and beyond. He noted the systematic repression of the Muslim Crimean Tatars and the establishment of brutal detention facilities like the notorious Izolyatsia prison.
“Russia is a prison state,” Zelenskyy said. “It can only keep hold of someone else’s stolen land by putting its prisons and torture chambers there.” Since February 2022, when Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine, these practices have intensified. “Atrocities have increased in scope and brutality,” he said.
Zelenskyy expressed deep empathy for Syrians liberated from Assad’s prisons, stating, “We, as Ukrainians, feel so moved when we see Syrians walking out of Assad’s torture chambers.” The leader emphasized the interconnectedness of global struggles against tyranny, asserting that dictators like Assad depend on patrons like Putin to maintain their grip on power. “Assad and Putin are more than just vassals and lords. They are accomplices in violence,” he said.
Zelenskyy warned that Putin may seek to avenge Assad’s fall, urging the international community to unite against regimes that propagate suffering and destruction. He framed the fight against Putin’s aggression as pivotal not only for Ukraine but for the world.
“By assisting Ukraine in its fight against Putin’s dictatorship, the international community is assisting many other regions in restoring security and protection from violence,” he said, concluding with a call for accountability: “Putin and Assad are the ones who deserve to be imprisoned, not the innocent people they have been imprisoning for years.”
Zelenskyy’s speech underscored the shared plight of nations facing oppression and resonated deeply with advocates of human rights. By highlighting the enduring connection between the Syrian and Ukrainian struggles, he reminded the world of the importance of unity in confronting dictatorships that thrive on repression and violence.
