This account of al-Assad’s fall, much of which has not been previously reported, is based on interviews with Syrian, Iranian, Iraqi and Turkish officials; Damascus-based diplomats; associates of al-Assad; and rebels who participated in his ouster. Read more here.

Nearly a million Syrians in Germany alone have made new lives. But after the fall of Bashar al-Assad, some politicians across the continent have suggested that refugees could return home.

Assad, Germany faces a heated debate on the future of nearly one million Syrian refugees. Politicians are divided, with some calling for immediate returns while others stress the need for caution. What does the future hold for Syrians in Germany?

Judicial authorities in France, Germany, Switzerland, Belgium and the Netherlands have initiated proceedings against agents and senior officials of the former government, some of which have resulted in convictions.

German ministers on Sunday said supporters of fallen president Bashar al-Assad's government would face justice in Germany if they fled to the country after the toppling of the Syrian strongman.

BERLIN - Germany plans talks with representatives of Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) in Damascus on Tuesday, the foreign ministry said, joining the United States and Britain in establishing contact with the Islamist group after it led the overthrow of Syria's Bashar al-Assad.

A German court handed a 10-year jail term to a Syrian former militia leader on Wednesday for war crimes and crimes against humanity committed under former president Bashar al-Assad.

Chancellor Scholz says Berlin encouraged by signals from Damascus but emphasizes concrete steps toward inclusive government, rule of law, protection of minorities - Anadolu Ajansı

It took only a few hours after the fall of Bashar al-Assad for some German politicians to begin suggesting it was time for Germany's million Syrians – many of them refugees from the 2015 war – to consider returning home.

European countries rapidly froze asylum claims after Assad's fall but Syrian refugees may have reason not to rush home

Mr Modamani is now working as a freelancer video journalist for public broadcaster Deutsche Welle. Read more at straitstimes.com.

European countries have announced a freeze on asylum procedures for Syrians, despite Syria's highly uncertain future following the fall of Bashar Al-Assad's regime. The rise of far-right parties and the memory of the 2015 migration crisis have hardened the discourse.