During the rule of the

al-Assad family The al-Assad family ( ar, عَائِلَة الْأَسَد '), also known as the Assad dynasty, has ruled Syria since General Hafez al-Assad became President of Syria in 1971 under the Ba'ath Party. After his death, in June 2000, he was succe ...

and the Syrian Civil War, a number of prominent Syrian figures have defected to either the rebellion or to other countries:

During Hafez al-Assad rule

* Bassam Adal – 1989 (to

Israel Israel (; he, יִשְׂרָאֵל, ; ar, إِسْرَائِيل, ), officially the State of Israel ( he, מְדִינַת יִשְׂרָאֵל, label=none, translit=Medīnat Yīsrāʾēl; ), is a country in Western Asia. It is situated ...

)

During Bashar al-Assad rule

Hussam Awak Hussam al-Din Awak is a former officer in the Syrian Armed Forces who reportedly became a Free Syrian Army commander upon the outbreak of the Syrian civil war. After claiming in 2015 that Turkey had cooperated with Islamic State (IS), Awak was de ...

Syrian Air Force ) , mascot = , anniversaries = 16 October , equipment = , equipment_label = , battles = * 1948 Arab-Israeli War * Six-Day War * Yom Kippur War ...

and Air Force Intelligence Directorate officer, claims to have defected in 2005, though others argue that he only joined the

Syrian opposition The Syrian opposition ( ar, المعارضة السورية ', ) is the political structure represented by the Syrian National Coalition and associated Syrian anti-Assad groups with certain territorial control as an alternative Syrian govern ...

out of opportunism

Syrian civil war

* Bassim Al Khaled/ بسيم الخالد

first lieutenant First lieutenant is a commissioned officer military rank in many armed forces; in some forces, it is an appointment. The rank of lieutenant has different meanings in different military formations, but in most forces it is sub-divided into a ...

, defected in June 2011 * Mohammad Bassam Imadi, Former Ambassador to Sweden – 2011 *

Abdul Razzaq Tlass Abdul (also transliterated as Abdal, Abdel, Abdil, Abdol, Abdool, or Abdoul; ar, عبد ال, ) is the most frequent transliteration of the combination of the Arabic word '' Abd'' (, meaning "Servant") and the definite prefix '' al / el'' (, me ...

, former Syrian

police The police are a constituted body of persons empowered by a state, with the aim to enforce the law, to ensure the safety, health and possessions of citizens, and to prevent crime and civil disorder. Their lawful powers include arrest a ...

, defected in June 2011, one of the founders of the Khalid ibn al-Walid Brigade in August 2011, and founder and commander of the

Farouq Brigades The Farouq Brigades ( ar, كتائب الفاروق), also spelt Farooq and Farook, was an armed rebel organisation formed by a number of Homs based members of the Free Syrian Army early in the Syrian Civil War. The group rapidly expanded in si ...

, October 2011–October 2012 *

Riad al-Asaad Riad Mousa al-Asaad (; ar, رياض موسى الأسعد, born 2 February 1961) is a Syrian military commander, politician and one of the founding leaders of the Free Syrian Army. He currently serves as the Deputy Prime Minister for Military A ...

, former

colonel Colonel (abbreviated as Col., Col or COL) is a senior military officer rank used in many countries. It is also used in some police forces and paramilitary organizations. In the 17th, 18th and 19th centuries, a colonel was typically in charge ...

in the

Syrian Air Force ) , mascot = , anniversaries = 16 October , equipment = , equipment_label = , battles = * 1948 Arab-Israeli War * Six-Day War * Yom Kippur War ...

, and current commander of the

Free Syrian Army The Free Syrian Army (FSA) ( ar, الجيش السوري الحر, al-jaysh as-Sūrī al-ḥur) is a loose faction in the Syrian Civil War founded on 29 July 2011 by officers of the Syrian Armed Forces with the goal of bringing down the governm ...

, July 2011 * Mustafa Al-Sheikh, former General in the

Secret Police force Secrecy is the practice of hiding information from certain individuals or groups who do not have the "need to know", perhaps while sharing it with other individuals. That which is kept hidden is known as the secret. Secrecy is often controvers ...

, and former head of the

– 6 January 2012 *

Imad Ghalioun Imad (also transliterated as Emad, Imed and Aimad ar, عماد) is an Arabic masculine given name and surname and means "support" or "pillar". Given name * Imād ad-Dīn Muhammad bin Qasim, Umayyad Caliphate general * Imad Abbas, Palestinian ...

, parliamentarian for Homs - January 2012 (to

Egypt Egypt ( ar, مصر , ), officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, is a transcontinental country spanning the northeast corner of Africa and southwest corner of Asia via a land bridge formed by the Sinai Peninsula. It is bordered by the Med ...

) * Abdo Hussameddin, Deputy Oil Minister – 7 March 2012 *

Firas Tlass Firas Tlass ( ar, فِرَاس طَلَاس, Firās Ṭalās; born 20 August 1960) is a Syrian businessman and a member of a significant Sunni family who had close relations with former Syrian President Hafez al-Assad, but defected to the rebel ...

, son of Mustafa Tlass, the former defence minister under

Hafez al Assad Hafez al-Assad ', , (, 6 October 1930 – 10 June 2000) was a Syrian statesman and military officer who served as President of Syria from taking power in 1971 until his death in 2000. He was also Prime Minister of Syria from 1970 to 197 ...

– 12 March 2012 (to

Paris Paris () is the capital and most populous city of France, with an estimated population of 2,165,423 residents in 2019 in an area of more than 105 km² (41 sq mi), making it the 30th most densely populated city in the world in 2020. ...

) *

Hassan Hamada Hassan Hamada ( ar, حسن حمادة, born c. 1968), full name Hassan Mirei al-Hamada ( ar, حسن ميري آل حمادة،), also spelled as Hammadeh, is a former colonel in the Syrian Air Force who, together with his MiG-21, defected to Jord ...

Syrian Air Force ) , mascot = , anniversaries = 16 October , equipment = , equipment_label = , battles = * 1948 Arab-Israeli War * Six-Day War * Yom Kippur War ...

Colonel – 2012 (to

Jordan Jordan ( ar, الأردن; tr. ' ), officially the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan,; tr. ' is a country in Western Asia. It is situated at the crossroads of Asia, Africa, and Europe, within the Levant region, on the East Bank of the Jordan Ri ...

) *

Fares Bayoush Fares Bayoush ( ar, فارس البيوش, born 1970) is a former lieutenant colonel in the Syrian Arab Air Force who defected to the Free Syrian Army in 2012. Military activities in the Syrian Air Force In 1990, Fares Bayoush joined a Syrian ...

Syrian Air Force ) , mascot = , anniversaries = 16 October , equipment = , equipment_label = , battles = * 1948 Arab-Israeli War * Six-Day War * Yom Kippur War ...

lieutenant colonel – July 2012 *

Manaf Tlass Manaf Tlass or Manaf Tlas ( ar, مَنَاف طَلَاس, Manāf Ṭalās; born 1964) is a former Brigadier General of the Syrian Republican Guard and member of Bashar al-Assad's inner circle who defected in 2012. He was the first Syrian Repu ...

Brigadier General Brigadier general or Brigade general is a military rank used in many countries. It is the lowest ranking general officer in some countries. The rank is usually above a colonel, and below a major general or divisional general. When appointed t ...

of the Syrian Republican Guard – 2012 (to

Turkey Turkey ( tr, Türkiye ), officially the Republic of Türkiye ( tr, Türkiye Cumhuriyeti, links=no ), is a list of transcontinental countries, transcontinental country located mainly on the Anatolia, Anatolian Peninsula in Western Asia, with ...

, later

) * Nawaf al-Fares, Ambassador to Iraq – 2012 (In

Iraq Iraq,; ku, عێراق, translit=Êraq officially the Republic of Iraq, '; ku, کۆماری عێراق, translit=Komarî Êraq is a country in Western Asia. It is bordered by Turkey to Iraq–Turkey border, the north, Iran to Iran–Iraq ...

, later moved to

Qatar Qatar (, ; ar, قطر, Qaṭar ; local vernacular pronunciation: ), officially the State of Qatar,) is a country in Western Asia. It occupies the Qatar Peninsula on the northeastern coast of the Arabian Peninsula in the Middle East; it ...

) *

Adnan Silu Adnan ( ar, عدنان, 'adnān) is the traditional ancestor of the Adnanite Arabs of Northern, Western, Eastern and Central Arabia, as opposed to the Qahtanite Arabs of Southern Arabia who descend from Qahtan. His ancestry can be traced back ...

, Major General and former head of Syria's chemical weapons program – July 2012 defected to the opposition. *

Abdelatif al-Dabbagh Abdul Latif ( ar, عبد اللطيف, translit=ʻAbd al-Laṭīf) is a Muslim male given name and, in modern usage, surname. It is built from the Arabic words '' ʻabd'' and ''al-Laṭīf'', one of the names of God in the Qur'an, which gave rise t ...

, Ambassador to the

UAE The United Arab Emirates (UAE; ar, اَلْإِمَارَات الْعَرَبِيَة الْمُتَحِدَة ), or simply the Emirates ( ar, الِْإمَارَات ), is a country in Western Asia (The Middle East). It is located at th ...

, July 2012 (to

) *

Lamia al-Hariri Lamia al Hariri ( ar, لمياء الحريري) is Syria's former chargée d'affaires in the Republic of Cyprus who defected to Qatar in July 2012. Early life Hariri was born in Hama but originally from the Daraa Governorate. She is the daugh ...

, niece of Syrian vice president

Farouk al-Sharaa Farouk al-Sharaa ( ar, فاروق الشرع; born 10 December 1938) is a Syrian politician and diplomat. He is one of the most prominent officials in the Syrian government and served as foreign minister of Syria from 1984 until 2006 when he bec ...

, Envoy to

Cyprus Cyprus ; tr, Kıbrıs (), officially the Republic of Cyprus,, , lit: Republic of Cyprus is an island country located south of the Anatolian Peninsula in the eastern Mediterranean Sea. Its continental position is disputed; while it is ...

, – July 2012 (to

) *

Mohammad Tahseen Faqir Muhammad ( ar, مُحَمَّد; 570 – 8 June 632 CE) was an Arab religious, social, and political leader and the founder of Islam. According to Islamic doctrine, he was a prophet divinely inspired to preach and confirm the monothe ...

, military attaché at the Syrian embassy in Oman – July 2012 *

Ikhlas al-Badawi Al-Ikhlāṣ ( ar, الْإِخْلَاص, "Sincerity"), also known as the Declaration of God's Unity and al- Tawhid ( ar, التوحيد, "Monotheism"), is the 112th chapter ('' sūrah'') of the Quran. According to George Sale, this chapter ...

, Aleppo MP, a

Ba'athist Ba'athism, also stylized as Baathism, (; ar, البعثية ' , from ' , meaning "renaissance" or "resurrection" Hans Wehr''Dictionary of Modern Written Arabic'' (4th ed.), page 80) is an Arab nationalist ideology which promotes the creatio ...

and an Assad loyalist, defected to

with her six children – July 2012 * Farouk Taha, Ambassador to

Belarus Belarus,, , ; alternatively and formerly known as Byelorussia (from Russian ). officially the Republic of Belarus,; rus, Республика Беларусь, Respublika Belarus. is a landlocked country in Eastern Europe. It is bordered by ...

. Fled to Belarus in the spring, but did not publicize his defection before late July. * Khaled al-Ayoubi, Chargé d'affaires at the embassy to the United Kingdom and most senior diplomat in the country after higher officials were expelled. – July 2012. * Mohammad Hussam Hafez, Consul at the Syrian embassy in

Yerevan Yerevan ( , , hy, Երևան , sometimes spelled Erevan) is the capital and largest city of Armenia and one of the world's oldest continuously inhabited cities. Situated along the Hrazdan River, Yerevan is the administrative, cultural, and ...

Armenia Armenia (), , group=pron officially the Republic of Armenia,, is a landlocked country in the Armenian Highlands of Western Asia.The UNbr>classification of world regions places Armenia in Western Asia; the CIA World Factbook , , and ...

– July 2012. * General

Muhammed Faris Muhammed Ahmed Faris ( ar, محمد أحمد فارس, ''Muḥammad ʾAḥmad Fāris''; born 26 May 1951) is a Syrian military aviator. He was the first Syrian and the second Arab in space. Career Born in Aleppo, Syria, he was a pilot in the ...

, a military aviator who became the first Syrian in space, defects to Turkey. *

Riyad Farid Hijab Riyad Farid Hijab ( ar, رياض فريد حجاب, Riyāḍ Farīd Ḥijāb; born 1966) is a Syrian politician. He was Prime Minister of Syria from June to August 2012, serving under President Bashar al-Assad. From 2011 to 2012, he was Minister ...

– Syrian Prime minister, August 2012. *

Mohammad al Jililati Mohammad al Jillati (born 1945) is a Syrian economist and financial expert, who served as the minister of finance from April 2011 to 9 February 2013.Danny al-Baaj Danny is a masculine given name. It is related to the male name Daniel. It may refer to: People *Danny Altmann, British immunologist * Danny Antonucci, Canadian animator, director, producer, and writer * Danny Baker (born 1957), English journal ...

– Syria's representative at the

United Nations Human Rights Council The United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC), CDH is a United Nations body whose mission is to promote and protect human rights around the world. The Council has 47 members elected for staggered three-year terms on a regional group basis. ...

, defects to Geneva, 11 July 2012 * Brigadier General

Ibrahim al-Jabawi Ibrahim ( ar, إبراهيم, links=no ') is the Arabic name for Abraham, a Biblical patriarch and prophet in Islam. For the Islamic view of Ibrahim, see Abraham in Islam. Ibrahim may also refer to: * Ibrahim (name), a name (and list of people ...

– deputy police commander for the central Syrian province of Homs, 12 July 2012 (to

) *

Salim Idris Salim Idris ( ar, سلیم ادریس ''Salīm Idrīs'') (born 1958) is the former Chief of Staff of the Supreme Military Council (SMC) of the Syrian National Army, a Syrian armed opposition group. He has a PhD in "electronic radars" and spe ...

– was a general in the

Syrian Police Force Syrians ( ar, سُورِيُّون, ''Sūriyyīn'') are an Eastern Mediterranean ethnic group indigenous to the Levant. They share common Levantine Semitic roots. The cultural and linguistic heritage of the Syrian people is a blend of both indi ...

when he defected in July 201

https://web.archive.org/web/20190105201212/https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/middle_east/ap-interview-new-syrian-rebel-commander-very-afraid-regime-will-use-chemical-weapons/2012/12/19/17c8cff6-499a-11e2-8af9-9b50cb4605a7_story.html?wprss=rss_social-world-headlines]. Now serves as the current Chief of Staff of the

. * Yaroub al-Shara – cousin of Syrian Vice President

Farouk al-Shara Farouk al-Sharaa ( ar, فاروق الشرع; born 10 December 1938) is a Syrian politician and diplomat. He is one of the most prominent officials in the Syrian government and served as foreign minister of Syria from 1984 until 2006 when he beca ...

. *

Naser al-Hariri Naser al-Hariri () was a former member of the People's Council of Syria from Daraa. Along with fellow parliamentarian Khalil al-Rifaei, also from Daraa, he resigned from his seat in protest at the "continued killings of protesters during the 2 ...

– Former member of the

People's Council of Syria The People's Assembly ( ar, مَجْلِس الشَّعْب, ) is Syria's legislative authority. It has 250 members elected for a four-year term in 15 multi-seat constituencies. There are two main political fronts; the National Progressive Fro ...

from

Daraa Daraa ( ar, دَرْعَا, Darʿā, Levantine Arabic: , also Darʿā, Dara’a, Deraa, Dera'a, Dera, Derʿā and Edrei; means "''fortress''", compare Dura-Europos) is a city in southwestern Syria, located about north of the border with Jord ...

, 23 August 2012 (to

) *

Mohamed Moussa al-Khairat Muhammad was an Islamic prophet and a religious and political leader who preached and established Islam. Muhammad and variations may also refer to: * Muhammad (name), a given name and surname, and list of people with the name and its variations ...

– Commander of the seventh division within the

, 25 August 2012 (to

Muhammad Khayr al-Hariri Muhammad ( ar, مُحَمَّد; 570 – 8 June 632 CE) was an Arab religious, social, and political leader and the founder of Islam. According to Islamic doctrine, he was a prophet divinely inspired to preach and confirm the monothe ...

– Former Syrian MP and tribal chief of the southern

region, 27 August (to

Abdullah Al-Omar Abdullah may refer to: * Abdullah (name), a list of people with the given name or surname * Abdullah, Kargı, Turkey, a village * ''Abdullah'' (film), a 1980 Bollywood film directed by Sanjay Khan * '' Abdullah: The Final Witness'', a 2015 Paki ...

– Director of several pro-government Syrian Channels, September 201

*

Mohammad Fares Muhammad ( ar, مُحَمَّد; 570 – 8 June 632 Common Era, CE) was an Arab religious, social, and political leader and the founder of Islam. According to Muhammad in Islam, Islamic doctrine, he was a prophet Divine inspiration, di ...

– a Syrian Pilo

*

Awad Ahmed al-Ali Awad or Aouad or Awwad ( ar, عوض or at times عوّاد) is an Arabic given name and surname. People with the name include: Given name ;of the origin عوّاد * Awwad Eid Al-Aradi Al-Balawi, former Director General of Saudi Arabian Border Gua ...

– head of the security branch in Damascus, September 2012 (to

Emad al-Ahmar Imad (also Romanization of Arabic, transliterated as Emad, Imed and Aimad ar, عماد) is an Arabic masculine given name and surname and means "support" or "pillar". Given name * Imād ad-Dīn Muhammad bin Qasim, Umayyad Caliphate general * I ...

– Syrian Consul in

Kuala Lumpur , anthem = ''Maju dan Sejahtera'' , image_map = , map_caption = , pushpin_map = Malaysia#Southeast Asia#Asia , pushpin_map_caption = , coordinates = , sub ...

Malaysia Malaysia ( ; ) is a country in Southeast Asia. The federation, federal constitutional monarchy consists of States and federal territories of Malaysia, thirteen states and three federal territories, separated by the South China Sea into two r ...

8 September 2012 (to

* Mahmoud Obeid – Syrian diplomatic attaché in

, 8 September 2012 (to

* Bashar al-Haj – Syrian diplomatic attaché in

Serbia Serbia (, ; Serbian: , , ), officially the Republic of Serbia (Serbian: , , ), is a landlocked country in Southeastern and Central Europe, situated at the crossroads of the Pannonian Basin and the Balkans. It shares land borders with Hung ...

, September 2012 (?

*

Youssef Assad Yusuf ( ar, يوسف ') is a male name of Arabic origin meaning " God increases" (in piety, power and influence).From the Hebrew יהוה להוסיף ''YHWH Lhosif'' meaning " YHWH will increase/add". It is the Arabic equivalent of the Hebrew ...

–

Syrian Air Force ) , mascot = , anniversaries = 16 October , equipment = , equipment_label = , battles = * 1948 Arab-Israeli War * Six-Day War * Yom Kippur War ...

officer and a family relative of President

Bashar Assad Bashar Hafez al-Assad, ', Levantine pronunciation: ; (, born 11 September 1965) is a Syrian politician who is the 19th president of Syria, since 17 July 2000. In addition, he is the commander-in-chief of the Syrian Armed Forces and the ...

br>
*

Khaled Abdul Rahman al Zamel Khaled is a male Arabic name, and may refer to: People * Khaled Azhari (born 1966), Egyptian politician * Khaled Chehab (1886–1978), Lebanese politician * Khaled (musician), an Algerian Raï musician * DJ Khaled, a Palestinian-American DJ S ...

– a Syrian

who initially defected to join the opposition forces, and in late September 2012 called on to abandon the insurgency against President Bashar al-Assad (accompanied by around 10 other former rebels

*

Jihad Makdissi Jihad Makdissi ( ar, جهاد مقدسي) was the Foreign Ministry spokesman of the Syrian government from 1998 to 2012. He is a member of Syria's Catholic minority and is fluent in English and French. Makdissi graduated from Al-Nour high school ...

– Syrian Forgein Ministry's spokesman, 2 December 2012 (to UK

*

Adnan Salo Adnan ( ar, عدنان, 'adnān) is the traditional ancestor of the Adnanite Arabs of Northern, Western, Eastern and Central Arabia, as opposed to the Qahtanite Arabs of Southern Arabia who descend from Qahtan. His ancestry can be traced b ...

– former head of the chemical weapons unit in the Syrian arm

9 December 2012 * Major General

Abdulaziz al-Shalal Major General Abdulaziz al-Shalal ( ar, عبد العزيز الشلال) was chief of the Syria Syria ( ar, سُورِيَا or سُورِيَة, translit=Sūriyā), officially the Syrian Arab Republic ( ar, الجمهورية العر� ...

– commander of Syria's Military Police, 25 December 201

* Kamal Jamal Beyk – Former director of programming at the official SANA radio and the SANA online news website in Damascus, 28 December 2012 (to

br>
* Lama Al-Khadra – Former state-run radio station Radio Damascus

Journalist A journalist is an individual that collects/gathers information in form of text, audio, or pictures, processes them into a news-worthy form, and disseminates it to the public. The act or process mainly done by the journalist is called journalism ...

, 28 December 2012 (to

Baddour Abdel Karim Baddour is a surname. Notable people with the surname include: * Anne Baddour (fl. 1988), American aviator *Phil Baddour Philip A. Baddour Jr. (born August 5, 1942) was a Democratic member of the North Carolina House of Representatives, repres ...

– former state-run radio station Radio Damascus

, 28 December 2012 (to

*Maj. Gen Mohammed Ezz al-Din Khalouf – chief of supplies and logistics of

Syrian Armed Police Forces Syrians ( ar, سُورِيُّون, ''Sūriyyīn'') are an Eastern Mediterranean ethnic group indigenous to the Levant. They share common Levantine Semitic roots. The cultural and linguistic heritage of the Syrian people is a blend of both indi ...

, 16 March 2013 (to

). *

Sayf Balud A scimitar ( or ) is a single-edged sword with a convex curved blade associated with Middle Eastern, South Asian, or North African cultures. A European term, ''scimitar'' does not refer to one specific sword type, but an assortment of different ...

– former First Lieutenant in the

Syrian Army " (''Guardians of the Homeland'') , colors = * Service uniform: Khaki, Olive * Combat uniform: Green, Black, Khaki , anniversaries = August 1st , equipment = , equipment_label = , battles = 1948 Arab–Israeli War Six ...

Anwar Raslan Anwar Raslan (; born 3 February 1963) is a former Syrian colonel who led a unit of Syria's General Intelligence Directorate. In January 2022, he was convicted of crimes against humanity in a German Higher Regional Court under universal jurisdict ...

- former Syrian colonel who led a unit of Syria's General Intelligence Directorate. Fled to Jordan then sought Asylum in Germany, where in January 2022, he was convicted of crimes against humanity in a German

Higher Regional Court An ''Oberlandesgericht'' (plural – ''Oberlandesgerichte''; OLG, en, Higher Regional Court, or in Berlin ''Kammergericht'': KG) is a higher court in Germany. There are 24 OLGs in Germany and they deal with civil and criminal matters. They a ...

References

{{reflist Syria

Defectors In politics, a defector is a person who gives up allegiance to one state in exchange for allegiance to another, changing sides in a way which is considered illegitimate by the first state. More broadly, defection involves abandoning a person, ca ...