His presidency has been marked by strict political control, limited freedoms, and state dominance over media and institutions. The situation evolved into a prolonged civil war, involving various opposition groups, jihadist factions, and foreign powers. Assad’s government has retained control over key parts of the country, largely with the backing of Russia. The conflict has resulted in hundreds of thousands of deaths and displaced millions, creating one of the largest humanitarian crises in recent history.
Highly personal mementos, such as pictures of the deposed president at his wedding to British-born Asma Akhras, as well as the bizarre images of him in his youth, have been found among his belongings at his palace in Aleppo and in Damascus. Rebel fighters who took Aleppo, Syria’s second-biggest city, in a lightning advance almost two weeks ago came across a photo of the former Syrian leader scantily clad as a young man. The image shows Assad years before he inherited the presidency from his father, posing alongside three other people in swimsuits as they are perched on the side of a boat at night.
