The story of the Alawite political party that formed in Russia

For days, media outlets have been circulating news of the formation of an Alawite political party in the Russian capital, Moscow.

The Justice and Democracy Party aims to play a role in the Syrian conflict, particularly following the killings of Alawites on the Syrian coast in recent weeks.
The founder of the party is Haidar Jawad Tawfiq al Assad, who is a relative of former Syrian President Bashar al Assad.

He was born and raised in Russia and holds Russian citizenship, and served as an officer in the Russian army.

Haidar al Assad, returned to Syria in 2011 with the Russian forces, where he served as a liaison officer between the Hmeimim base and the Syrian Air Force, however, he didn’t participate in combat operations.

Haidar al Assad wasn’t a supporter of the Assad regime, but rather had disagreements with many official figures inside the regime due to his rejection of the growing Iranian influence in the country.

This led to him being subjected to restrictive measures, most notably the sealing of his apartment in Damascus by order of the Presidential Palace.

Regarding the party and its formation in the Russian capital, Moscow, the party was founded in Moscow on May 5, 2025, with the participation of a group of Syrian founders.

The party includes many Syrian, with no clear data whether there are former members of the Syrian Regime, nor the army in the party’s membership.

According to Haidar al Assad, the party received an approval form Russian Authorities, in order to get help from Russia to expand the party’s official activity inside Syria.

According to him, currently there is political cover from Moscow, as talks between Russian officials and the Syrian Foreign Ministry regarding allowing the party to operate inside Syrian territory are ongoing.

There are possibilities to obtain the Baath Party headquarters to be used as offices for the new party.

According to sources, whom denied what is being circulated that the new party is a party for Alawites only, but rather it’s for all Syrians, as the party doesn’t have a sectarian character, as some claim, but was founded at the initiative of Syrians abroad who aim to build a unified civil state based on justice and equality.

The founding body consists of 14 members representing various sects and regions inside and outside Syria, united by a common goal: preserving the country’s unity.