A leading Syrian human rights monitor has called on Russia to extradite former president Bashar al-Assad and issue a formal apology for supporting his regime.
In a statement on the tenth anniversary of Russia's involvement in the Syrian civil war, the Syrian Network for Human Rights urged Moscow to pay compensation to the victims of its military action against opposition groups.
Russia was among the Assad regime's main foreign backers and made a decisive intervention in the Syrian war in 2015, which enabled its forces to retake key cities such as Aleppo and Daraa.
Almost 7,000 civilians were killed by Russian forces during their nine-year involvement in the conflict, according to data collected by the organisation.
The dead include more than 2,000 children and 984 women.
Assad has been living in exile in the Russian capital since December 2024, when he fled the Islamist-led rebels' advance on the capital.
A Syrian court last week issued an arrest warrant for the ousted leader.
SNHR head Fadel Abdel Ghani urged the Syrian government to condition closer relations on Russia negotiating Assad's extradition and apologising for its role in the war.
"The issue of the intervention must be part of negotiations if Russia wants to establish relations with the Syrian government, given the history and the fact that Russia is the aggressor," he told The New Arab's Arabic sister site.
The Russian government has sought to build ties with the new Syrian government in a bid to protect its interests in the country.
Moscow has several strategic military sites in Syria, including the Khmeimim air base and a naval base in Tartous.
The two sides have held several rounds of high-level talks this year. Most recently, a large Russian delegation led by the country's energy minister visited Syria to discuss strengthening ties.
Syria's interim president, Ahmed al-Sharaa, is expected to make his first visit to Russia in October.