Bassem Yakhour: I apologize to every Syrian who felt offended by my statements.

Artist Basem Yakhour has been trending on social media for the past few hours after he apologized to the Syrian people live on air.

Bassem Yakhour apologizes to the Syrians While appearing as a guest on the “Controversial” program on Al Arabiya, Bassem said: “I apologize to anyone I have hurt with my words or statements, but without offense, I was not an official in the regime, nor did I do any kind of business with the regime, nor did I hold any position, and I am a man who has lived outside the country for many, many years.”

Yakhour continued, saying: “I was not connected to anything in the previous regime except what I said, which were points of view. Today I say that if I hurt anyone with these points of view, and anyone hurt by my points of view, I will send them this message, just as Mr. Mazen requested,” referring to the program host.

Bassem Yakhour rejects the term "coercion" Artist Bassem Yakhour said that changing one's mind is necessary in life and is linked to a person's physical, psychological, and geographical condition. He rejected the term "coercion," and apologized to every Syrian who was "hurt or pained" by his previous statements.

Bassem also said, "We live with lifelong friends and discover that they are not trustworthy. This change is not coercion or betrayal," noting that changing one's mind may come as a result of "avoiding prior or subsequent pressure, which is every human being's right."

fear of the unknown Regarding the night of the fall of the Assad regime on December 8, 2024, Yakhour said: “I was very afraid... and I felt that we were heading into the unknown.” I was convincing myself that “enormous chaos awaited us,” noting that previous experiences in the region lead to this thinking.

Yakhour also discussed the details of his return to Damascus, noting that he was initially apprehensive, but he emphasized that it was his natural place because it was his country. He said, "The authorities are the ones who approach artists, not the other way around," adding, "I met with political figures a limited number of times, and I only had requests for people, not personal matters."

Yakhour continued, "Everything I own comes from my work, and talk of privileges is baseless. There are recordings that confirm that my opponents spread these lies because of the legal cases against them and my testimony against them in court."

The relationship with Maher al-Assad and the threat Regarding his relationship with Maher Al-Assad, Bassem Yakhour said: "My personal relationship with Maher Al-Assad was not a means of attacking or threatening the artistic community. Rather, I was a servant to those around me, helping them."

He continued that over the past four months, he had been subjected to direct death threats and a smear campaign targeting him and his family, adding, "No one has the right to falsely accuse me simply because I disagree with them."