Syrian President Bashar al-Assad has fled the country. He left the country on a private plane on Sunday morning in the face of the capture of Damascus, the capital of rebel fighters.
Bashar al-Assad was in power for 24 years. His father, Hafez al-Assad, ruled Syria for 29 years. Bashar al-Assad’s escape marks the end of 53 years of al-Assad family rule in Syria.
In the past few days, rebels have taken control of several important Syrian cities, including Aleppo and Homs. They were slowly advancing towards Damascus. The rebels reached the outskirts of Damascus last night. And this morning they entered Damascus.
After Bashar al-Assad’s escape abroad, the rebels officially declared Damascus and Syria “liberated”.
Syrian President Bashar al-Assad has fled the capital Damascus on a private plane in the face of rebel attacks. Hadi al-Bahra, the head of Syria’s anti-Assad political coalition, has declared the capital Damascus “free of Bashar al-Assad. He also congratulated the people of Syria.
This is how the last few lines of the Assad family’s 54-year rule and exploitation are being described in the international media.
But the story begins with a military coup in 1970. Bashar al-Assad’s father, Hafez al-Assad, a key leader of the Ba’ath Party, seized power in a coup that year.
He used his strong position in the military to consolidate power. His rule was a symbol of centralized and strict control.
He is accused of genocide in 1982 in the city of Hama to crush a Muslim Brotherhood uprising. Between 10,000 and 20,000 people were killed. This is a dark chapter in his rule.
After the death of Hafez al-Assad in 2000, his son Bashar al-Assad took power.
Bashar al-Assad is the second son of Hafez al-Assad. After graduating from Damascus Medical College, he trained as an ophthalmologist in London and engaged in the medical profession.
His older brother, Basil al-Assad, was the family’s political heir. So Bashar was out of politics. However, when his elder brother Basil died in a road accident in 1994, Bashar was forced to take charge of the family. At his father’s behest, he joined the army and started training in politics.
Before taking power, Bashar al-Assad was seen as a reformist. In September 2000, after he took power, 100 Syrian intellectuals called on him to lift martial law, allow more freedoms, and practice multiparty politics.
Following the call, Bashar al-Assad introduced some limited reforms early in his rule, including liberalizing the economy and easing some political restrictions. This period became known as the ‘Damascus Spring’.
However, these reforms did not last long. The regime reverted to a harsh authoritarian form and repression began anew. Corruption, economic inequality, and political repression continued, sowing the seeds of public discontent. This discontent was followed by an even larger social and political crisis.
After the Arab Spring wave reached Syria in 2011, widespread protests against Bashar al-Assad began. People took to the streets to demand their democratic rights and freedom, which became a major challenge to Bashar’s regime.
People demand political freedom and an end to corruption. The regime responded with a violent crackdown that plunged the country into a civil war.
The conflict intensified, and various opposition factions, including jihadist groups, emerged. In addition, the intervention of foreign powers, including the United States, Russia, Iran and Turkey, further complicates the crisis.
On August 21, 2013, Bashar showed the most brutality in this civil war. He used chemical weapons against rebels in Ghouta in southern Syria. Thousands of people died in the attack.
Under pressure from the United States and Russia, Syria agreed to dismantle its chemical weapons stockpile. Despite this promise, reports of chemical attacks continue to come in from time to time.
More than 500,000 people lost their lives in this war. About 12 million people have been displaced.
In 2021, Bashar al-Assad was elected president for the fourth time with 95 percent of the vote in a highly disputed election. After a long separation, Arab states began to restore relations with Assad in 2022-23. Syria was readmitted to the Arab League in 2023. This signaled a diplomatic shift. However, the situation in Ukraine and Israel presents a golden opportunity in the hands of the rebels.
Since last month, anti-Bashar al-Assad armed groups have been making rapid success. Iran, which is engaged in a shadow war with Assad’s two main allies Russia in Ukraine and Israel, did not have much to do to save him this time.
President Bashar al-Assad has left the capital Damascus on a plane. It was not immediately clear where he went. His destination remains unknown, but experts see the end of Bashar’s rule.
