Former Syrian President Assad Reportedly Plays Hours of Video Games Each Day

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Reports suggest that Bashar al-Assad is passing his time in exile by playing video games. This is somewhat surprising, considering his previous statements about gaming.

www.kremlin.ru

Wow, it’s still hard to believe Assad is gone! After taking over from his father back in 2000, he managed to hold on for over a decade, even with all the fighting, thanks to support from Iran and Russia. But in December 2024, rebels finally took Damascus, and he was ousted. Honestly, it’s good riddance considering all the terrible things he was accused of – torture, people dying in prisons, and just awful attacks on civilians. Now, things are really uncertain with President al-Sharaa in charge. I’ve been reading reports that old political problems and tensions between different groups are flaring up again, though there are also some cautious attempts to rebuild relationships with neighboring countries. It’s a complicated situation, to say the least.

Assad’s Moscow Exile Routine Reportedly Includes Hours of Online Gaming

When rebel forces entered Damascus in December 2024, Syrian President Assad escaped to Moscow, where he received political asylum with the personal approval of Russian President Vladimir Putin, according to Kremlin sources. A recent report from German publication Die Zeit claims Assad now spends his days playing online video games in a luxurious apartment building in Moscow. The report also states he occasionally visits a shopping mall located beneath his residence, and that his gaming sessions can last for hours each day.

www.kremlin.ru

Assad Once Claimed He Doesn’t Play Online Games

The report only mentions that Assad plays online games, offering no specifics about his gaming. This contrasts sharply with a 2007 interview with Diane Sawyer on Good Morning America, where he denied being a gamer. When asked if he played online games, he stated he used the internet “for information, not for video games,” as documented in an Engadget transcript.

www.kremlin.ru

After seeking political asylum in Russia in 2024, 60-year-old Assad had nearly two decades to reflect on his views about gaming. Russian sources reported his asylum was granted on humanitarian grounds, but with a condition: he had to give up all political involvement and public appearances. Since leaving Damascus, he appears to be following these rules, which also extended asylum to his family.

In spring 2025, Syrian president Ahmed al-Sharaa publicly asked Russia to hand over President Assad. He stated this extradition was a requirement for Russia to continue maintaining its military forces in Syria, but the request was denied.

Sources: FT, JPost, Engadget, BBC

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2025-10-13 04:39