An image shared on X claims to show the Russian passport of deposed Syrian dictator Bashar al-Assad.

وأخيراً أصبح الطاغية السفاح بشار لاجئاً حقيراً تحت شروط مذلة مع تجريده مما سرقه قيد قرار من السلطات الروسية (يمهل ولا يهمل) pic.twitter.com/fI12tyxiB6

— Dr. Harib Al Rawahi 🇴🇲🇵🇸 (@Handsomehamed) December 19, 2024

Verdict: False

This image is not real. It has been photoshopped.

Fact Check:

Alawites, a minority in Syria, are living in fear as reports of killings and forced disappearances have spread, according to The Washington Post. Many Alawites were part of Assad’s government, while the former dictator himself is a member of the group, per the outlet.

Social media users are claiming to show Assad’s Russian passport, the country where Assad fled after his regime fell. One user wrote, “Finally, the brutal tyrant Bashar became a despicable refugee under humiliating conditions, stripped of what he stole, subject to a decision by the Russian authorities (who give respite but do not neglect).”

This claim is false. Through a reverse image search, Check Your Fact found that the image was photoshopped from an actual passport shared to Wikipedia. The original passport has been photoshopped to include Assad’s face. (RELATED: Photo Of Egyptian Black Belts Raising Palestinian Flag Predates Paris 2024 Olympics)

“Russian passport (inside). Given by Oktjabrskij District of Arkhangelsk City Department on 2004-12-17 to Yevgeni Aleksandrovich Imyarek. Gender: male; date of birth: 1682-09-12; residence: Arkhangelsk. ‘Aleksandrovich’ is a patronym, “Imyarek” is a placeholder family name,” reads the image description.

Logically Facts also debunked the claim.