Former Syrian ministers are not under house arrest: Ex-PM al-Jalali says

Syria’s former Prime Minister Mohammed al-Jalali has said that the ministers of his government were not under house arrest adding that the former transport minister left Syria.

He also noted that he hasn’t been able to contact the country’s former defense and interior ministers.

Meanwhile, al-Jalali said he handed all official files to the new interim government.

A new caretaker government, headed by Mohammed al-Bashir, held its first meeting on Tuesday after armed opposition forces, spearheaded by “Hayat Tahrir al-Sham” (HTS) toppled former President Bashar al-Assad.

Al-Bashir said he would lead the interim authority until March 1.

Touching on al-Assad’s regime, al-Jalali said that “he had to present every decision to al-Assad before signing it,” adding that “directions from al-Assad used to come over the phone only and that they should be implemented without questioning.”

Al-Jalali also said that he tried to get in touch with the ousted president on Sunday at dawn, “but he didn’t answer.”