Former Syrian president Assad is video gaming in a luxury Moscow apartment: Report
Syria's former President Bashar al-Assad, whose notoriously brutal rule over the country earned him the nickname "The Butcher," was deposed in 2024 after years of bloody civil war.
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Now, in a surreal cyberpunk twist, according to a report in German newsweekly Die Zeit, the former dictator is largely holed up in a luxury high-rise in Moscow, where he routinely spends hours playing online video games.
Assad, who practiced as a physician and was reportedly thought of as "geeky" during his medical training years, also appears to enjoy stunning views of Moscow landmarks from his apartment, and has access to a villa outside the city. He also reportedly makes occasional visits to a shopping mall below his apartment. Assad apparently resides in Russia under President Vladimir Putin's protection, according to Die Zeit.
Assad succeeded his father, Hafez al-Assad, as president of Syria in 2000. Despite there being initial hopes for reform, Bashar al-Assad ultimately presided over a brutal crackdown on dissent and a 13-year civil war, in which his Russian-backed forces were accused of deploying chemical weapons and bombarding the civilian population with so-called barrel bombs.
The German publication didn't specify what video games the former Syrian leader enjoys, nor whether he plays against online opponents who might be unaware of his identity.
This post originally appeared at fastcompany.com
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