1. Skip to content
  2. Skip to main menu
  3. Skip to more DW sites
In focus
ChristmasSyriaGerman election 2025
Latest audioLatest videos
Live TV
A poster of Syrian president Bashar Assad is torn down in Aleppo, Syria
Image: Mohammed Al-Rifai/AFP/Getty ImagesImage: Mohammed Al-Rifai/AFP/Getty Images

Bashar Assad

Bashar Assad was Syria's president from 2000-2024 before rebel groups removed him from power. Assad's regime conducted a violent crackdown of protests in 2011 that led to the Syrian Civil War.

Skip next section News

News

December 16, 2024

Syria updates: Assad makes first statement since ousting

December 14, 2024

Syria updates: Top diplomats meet to discuss Syria's future

December 14, 2024

Syria updates: Celebrations take over Damascus square

December 13, 2024

Syria updates: Olaf Scholz calls for 'inclusive' transition

December 11, 2024

Syria updates: Germany announces €8 million in aid

December 10, 2024

Germany starts Syrian migration debate after Assad's fall

Show more
Skip next section Reports & Analysis

Reports & Analysis

A woman poses for a picture in front of a Christmas tree in Aleppo

Syria's Christians prepare to celebrate Christmas

Syria's Christians prepare to celebrate Christmas

Many Christians say they're hopeful about their future in Syria, but fears remain.
PoliticsDecember 23, 202401:52 min
Syrian attend a gathering to call for democracy and women's rights in Damascus' Umayyad Square on December 19, 2024.

Is a UN Security Council resolution key to Syria's future?

Is a UN Security Council resolution key to Syria's future?

Resolution 2254, agreed upon in 2015, outlined how the Syrian civil war might end. Is it still fit for purpose?
PoliticsDecember 23, 2024
external

Will Syrian refugees stay in Germany?

Will Syrian refugees stay in Germany?

There are currently 974,000 Syrian nationals living in Germany where they have built new lives after fleeing civil war.
BusinessDecember 23, 202403:00 min
the inside of a mosque that has been converted into a shelter for refugees

Syria: Assad's fall triggers a new flow of refugees

Syria: Assad's fall triggers a new flow of refugees

Assad loyalists from the country's Shiite minority are leaving Syria fearing persecution by the new leaders.
ConflictsDecember 23, 202403:19 min
Türkei Syrien 2024 | Rückkehr von Syrern in ihre Heimat

In data: Syria after the war

In data: Syria after the war

The war in Syria has left a trail of destruction. The country is devastated, fragmented, and economically ruined.
PoliticsDecember 22, 2024
Islamist group Hayat Tahrir al-Sham has governed Idlib since 2017. Could it be a model for the whole country?

Is HTS ready to govern post-Assad Syria?

Is HTS ready to govern post-Assad Syria?

Islamist group Hayat Tahrir al-Sham has governed Idlib since 2017. Could it be a model for the whole country?
ConflictsDecember 22, 202401:33 min
Show more
Skip next section In the spotlight

In the spotlight

Abu Mohamed al-Jolani, head of Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), poses for a selfie (file photo)

EU mulls relations with Syria's new leaders

With other actors being quick to try to exert influence, the EU must decide how to engage with those now in power.
PoliticsDecember 18, 202402:38 min
Syrian fighters watch Russian armored vehicles driving past near the Hmeimim Air Base, a Syrian air base currently operated by Russia, in the town of Hmeimim, southeast of Latakia.

Russian military: Moving from Syria to Libya?

Russian military bases in Syria appear to be being packed up and evacuated. But where is Russia going?
ConflictsDecember 18, 2024
Protestors carry Syrian opposition flags during a demonstration demanding for attention for the situation in Syria in The Hague on October 27, 2024.

Why EU plans for 'special envoy' to Syria sparked outrage

Syrian activists are enraged about EU plans to appoint a 'special envoy' to Syria, saying it whitewashes war crimes.
PoliticsNovember 27, 2024
A photograph of Syrian President Bashar Assad hangs in the broken window of a building damagaed by an Israeli strike

Syria's dictator caught between Iran and Israel

Israel's direct attacks within Iran over the weekend could force Bashar Assad to open a new front in the conflict.
ConflictsOctober 29, 2024
Syrian migrants stand in a line in Cyprus

EU's Syria policy shifts amid calls to increase deportation

The EU is under pressure to revisit its ties with Syrian leader Bashar Assad. Italy has already taken the first step.
PoliticsAugust 26, 2024
A Syrian fighter carries his son while holding a rifle

Will EU's normalization push with Syria help Bashar Assad?

Observers are concerned about Europe's push to thaw ties and return refugees to Syria. Will "safe zones" benefit Assad?
PoliticsJuly 27, 2024
All content (1883) on this topic