Bashar al-Assad is reportedly spending his exile playing video games. His hobby of choice sets up an unexpected contrast with his earlier public comments on gaming.
Assad, who succeeded his father as President of Syria in 2000, was ousted in December 2024 after a rebel offensive seized Damascus. Before his fall, he had survived more than a decade of war with backing from Iran and Russia. He faces widely documented accusations of state torture, mass deaths in detention, and indiscriminate attacks on civilians, among other war crimes. Regional dynamics remain unsettled under the post-Assad order, led by President Ahmed al-Sharaa, with recent reports pointing to renewed political issues and sectarian tensions, as well as cautious diplomatic resets with neighbors.
