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.
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.