In December 2024, Bashar al-Assad fled Syria, marking the end of a long-standing family rule in the country. Following the government’s collapse, increased scrutiny focused on the Assad family, particularly Asma al-Assad, Bashar’s wife.
Originally known as Emma Akhras, Asma was a British investment banker from West London before assuming the role of Syria’s first lady. Once portrayed as a symbol of modernization and elegance by Vogue, she later became a controversial figure associated with the Assad regime’s brutality.
Chloe Hadjimatheou, The Observer’s narrative editor and host of the podcast ‘We Call Her Emma,’ talks with guest host Jason Markusoff about the evolution of Syria’s former first lady and her involvement in her husband’s authoritarian regime.
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