When prisoners are released from underground prisons around Damascus, shocked crowds roam the mansions of ousted former president Bashar al-Assad, grabbing whatever they can and falling into the trap of his wealth. I was amazed.
Photos from the presidential palace showed a man carrying a beige plush chair on his shoulders as people milled about on tiled floors beneath an intricately carved wooden ceiling. In another image, a broken chandelier lay in a courtyard beneath an ornate sloping staircase, with a crumpled Syrian flag tied between broken glass. More images showed wooden furniture and equipment being carried outside into gardens by people to be removed.
The video shows a man running through one of President Assad’s mansions in the al-Maliki district, running over plush red carpets, glossy marble floors and past racks of clothes, including Dior garment bags. I could see it passing by.
“I’m in the president’s house!” he exclaims under his breath, running around the room in disbelief at what’s happening, stopping at one point to point out that he’s been in Syria for decades before handing power to his son. A portrait of ruler Hafez al-Assad was thrown with a loud bang on the floor.
The hallways and luxurious bedrooms of President Assad’s mansion were eerily empty except for looters and spectators after the former leader, also known as the “Butcher of Damascus,” fled with his family to Moscow. The whereabouts of many other prominent members of Assad’s inner circle remain unknown, with rumors that they too have fled the country as rebel forces close in, and their mansions have been emptied.
In a 2022 report to Parliament, the Department of State estimated the Assad family’s net worth at up to £1.6 billion, which represents a large swath of the family’s assets “which are believed to be spread and concealed across a number of accounts.” It added that the figures are only estimates based on data collected. , Real Estate Portfolios, Corporates, and Offshore Tax Havens.”
They added that Assad had deep “patronage ties” with Syria’s largest economic actors and used their companies to launder money from illegal activities and funnel funds to the regime. These networks penetrate every sector of the Syrian economy. ”
While the Assad family and their friends were enjoying wealth, the Syrian people were starving. According to a 2022 World Bank report, 14.5 million people, almost 70% of the population, live in poverty, and extreme poverty affects one in four people.
Syrian influencer and comedian Fadi Mars rummaged through a refrigerator full of meat bags in one of President Bashar al-Assad’s homes, leaving what appeared to be a paper bag from luxury brand Hermès in front of the refrigerator. He shared a video of the find. In another room, people were rummaging through shelves filled with art and paintings, pushing through piles of boxes and papers scattered on the floor.
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Ms Mars filmed herself dragging an estimated £36,500 Louis Vuitton suitcase that looked like it was bursting at the seams. In another video, he enters the gym, films himself on the elliptical, then looks into a floor-length mirror to reveal himself standing on the equipment wearing a hoodie and jeans.
Some entered Assad’s spacious garage filled with his car collection and photographed dozens of luxury cars, including Aston Martins and Lamborghinis. A shiny new black Lexus four-wheel-drive car was parked near a rare red Ferrari F50 worth £1.5m.
