Bashar El Assad: Power or Death

Dec 8, 2024 | This is the story of a man with two faces. The timid Doctor Bashar, who has long seduced the West and promised to move his country towards more democracy. And the terrible Mister Assad, dictator, who fights his own people in a civil war with hundreds of thousands of victims.

The terrible Mister Assad, dictator who fights his own people Thanks to the testimonies of his relatives and former executives of the regime, the film tells the rise of a man who was not supposed to be president, and deciphers a system that resembles that of the Mafia. With its godfathers, its settling of scores, and its billions in dirty money. Bashar El-Assad received Syria as an inheritance from his father, Hafez El-Assad. He is the one who built this iron dictatorship that has held the country for nearly 50 years. The film also explores the passionate ties that unite France and Syria. Leading French political figures, former ministers and diplomats, take us behind the scenes of this tumultuous relationship. A relationship that the story of Bashar El-Assad perfectly symbolises. French presidents Jacques Chirac and then Nicolas Sarkozy initially considered him a valuable ally and rolled out the red carpet for him. Before bitterly regretting it.

Directed by Christophe Widemann

Trump Suggestion of a Syrian Crackdown on Hezbollah Confounds Many in Mideast

THE NEW YORK TIMES: During peace talks, President Trump repeatedly floated the idea that Syria could help subdue Hezbollah in Lebanon. The proposal revived bitter memories.

When the Israel-Hezbollah conflict in Lebanon was threatening to unravel the U.S.-Iran peace deal, President Trump repeatedly floated an idea that took many in the region by surprise.

Neighboring Syria, whose relatively new government is no friend to Hezbollah, could help subdue the Iran-backed Lebanese militia.

The proposal revived bitter memories in Lebanon, which the Syrian military occupied for nearly three decades. It also baffled Syrians, whose government has made clear over and over again that it has no interest in meddling in its neighbors’ affairs or entering into more wars.

President Ahmed al-Sharaa reiterated that stance last week, rebuffing the notion that his U.S.-allied government was preparing to intervene militarily in Lebanon. » | Christina Goldbaum and Raja Abdulrahim | Christina Goldbaum reported from Beirut, Lebanon, and Raja Abdulrahim from Amman, Jordan. | Wednesday, July 1, 2026

Family of Death: The Fall of Syria’s Mass-Murderer Dynasty | ENDEVR Documentary

Mar 1, 2026 | On December 8, 2024, Syrian dictator Bashar al-Assad and his family fled to Russia, ending a 54-year dynasty. Once seen as a hopeful reformer, Assad’s rule turned bloody — half a million dead, millions displaced. This film captures the sudden fall of his regime, revealing Syrians’ struggles, the corruption of the Assad clan, and the hopes and fears of a country finally seeking its own future.

Family of Death: The Fall of Syria’s Mass-Murderer Dynasty | ENDEVR Documentary

March 1, 2026

How Assad Moved to Crush Syria’s Uprising | The Regime | Full Documentary | FRONTLINE (PBS)

March 11, 2026

For Fallen Syrian Dictator Assad and Family, an Exile of Luxury and Impunity

THE NEW YORK TIMES: Bashar al-Assad’s long, brutal reign ended swiftly, but he and his close circle have had a soft landing in Russia.

Just a few weeks after a whirlwind rebel offensive seized control of his homeland last year, a Syrian expatriate in Moscow treated himself to a meal in the city’s tallest skyscraper.

With views from the 62nd floor, stylish hostesses and elaborate cocktails, the restaurant “Sixty” regularly welcomes members of Russia’s political elite and foreign celebrities.

So the Syrian diner, who spoke on the condition of anonymity, said he had not been surprised when waiters asked him to refrain from taking photos.

But he was surprised to discover who one of the V.I.P.s dining in his midst was: his country’s ousted dictator, Bashar al-Assad.

For more than five decades, the Assad family name has been synonymous with brutal autocracy. Now, the Assads are fugitives living in Moscow.

Both the deposed president and his brother Maher, one of the regime’s most powerful military leaders, have betrayed little about how they spend their days in the country that propped them up when they were in power and took them in when they fell.

But from witnesses and family friends, and digital clues left on hard-to-track social media accounts, reporters for The New York Times have uncovered glimpses into a life of luxury and impunity. » | Erika Solomon, Christiaan Triebert, Haley Willis and Ahmad Mhidi | Monday, December 22, 2025

Professor Tim Wilson: Rumbled in Rubliovka- Assad Suffers an Assassination Attempt

October 3, 2025

Attentat dans une église en Syrie : «C’est la première tuerie de masse contre des chrétiens à Damas depuis 1860»

LE FIGARO : ENTRETIEN - Pour le spécialiste Wassim Nasr, l’attentat-suicide imputé à Daesh qui a fait 27 morts dans un quartier chrétien de Damas, rappelle la capacité de nuisance des cellules djihadistes restées en Syrie, qui cherchent à décrédibiliser les autorités syriennes.

Un attentat-suicide a fait au moins 27 morts et une cinquantaine de blessés dans l’église Mar Elias du quartier chrétien de Damas en Syrie ce dimanche 22 juin 2025. Selon un ministre syrien, l’auteur de l’attentat appartenait au groupe État islamique. » | Par Elisabeth Pierson | lundi 23 juin 2025

THE GUARDIAN : Islamic State suicide bombing in Damascus church kills 22 and injures 63: Evening attack is first major atrocity by Islamist terror group in Syria since President al-Assad was deposed »

Syria Sees Outbreaks of Violence and Killings | BBC News

Mar 17, 2025 | Since overthrowing President Assad’s regime, Syria’s new authorities have been working to establish their control over the country.

But this has brought them into conflict in areas dominated by the Alawite sect, the group from which President Assad drew much of his support.

Fighting recently broke out with dozens of casualties in an Alawite village south of Latakia. Lina Sonja reports from the area.

Fears of Civil War in Syria as More than 1,000 Reported Killed | BBC News

Mar 9, 2025 | The UN is urging Syria's interim leaders to take swift action to protect civilians following a wave of violence against members of the minority Alawite community.

The violence began after loyalists of former President Bashar al-Assad - whose regime was toppled last December - ambushed government forces in recent days.

Government security forces are said to have been carrying out reprisals in Latakia Province, where at least 1,000 Alawites, including children are said to have been killed in recent days. The BBC has not been able to independently verify the death toll.

The Alawites are a minority sect of Shia Muslims, from which the Assad family originates.

Syria's interim leader Ahmed al-Sharaa – who played a leading role in the rebellion that toppled Assad – has called for peace and announced an investigation into the violence. But so far, he hasn't directly addressed accusations that atrocities were being committed by his supporters. Syrians have been protesting against the violence in the capital Damascus.

The UN says it's received "extremely disturbing" reports of whole families being killed, and has called on the interim authorities to take "swift actions to protect Syrians" while the US says the Syrian leadership must hold the perpetrators accountable.

Clive Myrie presents BBC News at Ten reporting by Lina Sinjab in Damascus.

We Will Work on Forming an Inclusive Transitional Government: Syria's President Sharaa

Jan 30, 2025 | Syria's President Ahmed al-Sharaa will work on forming an inclusive transitional government, he said on Thursday in his first speech after being declared president. "A preparatory committee for the national dialogue conference will be announced in the coming days," Sharaa added.

French, German FMs Meet Syria's New de facto Leaders | DW News

Jan 3, 2025 | Germany's foreign minister Annalena Baerbock and her counterpart, France's Jean-Noel Barrot, are the first ministers from the EU to visit Syria and meet with de facto leader Ahmad al-Sharaa since rebels seized control of Damascus on December 8, 2024. Their visit to Syria is the highest-level western visit since the fall of the Assad regime.

They expresseed support for the rebuilding of Syria. But they also made it clear that the EU will not finance Islamism - or tolerate discrimination against women or ethnic and religious groups.

DW talks to Christoph Schult in Damascus who is currently traveling with FM Baerbock. He is a journalist at Germany's Spiegel magazine.

There's some controversy over the Syrian leader's greeting for his EU visitors. Ahmad al-Sharaa shook hands with the French foreign minister Jean-Noel Barrot, a man, but not with Gemany's Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock, a woman.

Syria's New Government Should Represent All Groups in Civil Society | DW News

Jan 1, 2025 | Syria has celebrated its first new year free of the Assad family's rule in five decades. Fireworks lit up one of the main squares in central Damascus as Syrians welcomed 2025 with high hopes for their future. The fall of the regime last month has allowed activists and ordinary people to speak openly for the first time about the country they want Syria to become. While some groups are connecting to unify their efforts, others are attempting to play down a quick transition to new governance. DW's Rama Jarmakani reports from the capital, Damascus. We spoke to Anas Joudeh, founder and director of the Syrian group 'Nation Building Movement'.

Syrians Head into First New Year without Assad | DW News

Dec 31, 2024 | For the first time in over half a century, Syrians are heading into the New Year free of the Assad family's brutal leadership. But Syria's new de-facto ruler Ahmed al-Sharaa has warned that Syrians may have to wait three years for a new constitution and four for elections. Al-Sharaa, and his Islamist group Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, have been trying to reassure people at home and abroad that personal freedoms will be protected in the meantime. In Damascus, those promises are already being put to the test as some bar owners risk reopening their establishments.

Hope and Fears of Christians in Syria under the New Islamist Leadership | DW News

Dec 24, 2024 | Christians in Syria are preparing to celebrate their first Christmas since the overthrow of president Bashar al Assad. After nearly five decades under the rule of the Assad family, the country faces a new era following this month's sudden rebel victory. While some Christians express hope for the future, there are concerns about the fate of religious minorities under Syria's new Islamist-led government.

For more on this, we talk to Priest Firas Lutfi. He is a Parish Priest in Damascus and Head of Franciscan community in Damascus, Syria.

Christians in Syria prepare for Christmas

LIVE: Christians in Syria Celebrate Christmas

Dec 24, 2024 | Christians attend mass in Damascus, Syria, celebrating Christmas for the first time since the fall of President Bashar al-Assad and the control of Islamist group Hayat Tahrir al-Sham.

Protests Erupt in Syria over Christmas Tree Burning

BBC: Protests have broken out in Syria over the burning of a Christmas tree near the city of Hama.

A video posted on social media showed masked gunmen setting fire to the tree on display in the main square of the Suqaylabiyah, a Christian-majority town in central Syria.

The main Islamist faction which led the uprising that toppled President Bashar al-Assad said the men responsible for the arson were foreign fighters and had been detained.

Thousands of demonstrators took to the streets across the country, demanding the new Islamist rulers protect religious minorities. (+ video) » | Jacqueline Howard, BBC News. Reporting from London | Lina Sinjab, Middle East Correspondent. Reporting from Damascus | December 24, 2024

Journeyman Pictures: The Village in Syria Where They Speak Jesus' Tongue

May 25, 2016 | Aramaic (2008): In a village in the Syrian countryside, Muslims and Christians live side-by-side and keeping the language of Christ, Aramaic, alive.

Assad Says He Left Hmeimim Base in Syria on 8 December for Moscow

THE GUARDIAN: Syria’s Bashar al-Assad said on Monday he was evacuated to Russia from the Hmeimim base in Syria on the evening of 8 December as it came under drone attacks, after leaving Damascus that morning with opposition fighters closing in. [Read more here.]

Syria: Inside Captagon Drug Factory which Funded Assad’s Brutal Regime

Dec 12, 2024 | It's been called the poor man's cocaine. Captagon: the drug that funded Bashar al-Assad's brutal rule in Syria. It's an amphetamine which - in high doses - induces feelings of euphoria and invulnerability.

Popular with soldiers, they say it offers 'chemical courage' and reportedly suppresses pain. And it's made the Assad family billions - more than 10 billion dollars a year, by recent estimates. Money it used to shore up a crumbling dynasty.

Correspondent: Lindsey Hilsum
Filmed and edited by Soren Munk
Produced by Rob Hodge


Related material here.

My God! And OUR PATHETIC Western politicians and governments worry about people enjoying a smoke: the smoke of a cigarette! It’s a pity that our politicians don’t get their priorities straightened out! They sweat the little things whilst the big things are ignored. Conveniently, of course, because they haven't the courage to tackle problems like this. Unbelievable! – © Mark Alexander