In Bashar al-Assad's luxurious residence in Damascus, ransacked on Sunday morning, Abou Omar wanders from one room to another, taking photos, to immortalize the fall of the hated Syrian president.
“I have come for vengeance, because he has oppressed us in an incredible way.”says this 44-year-old man, who refuses to give his last name. “I'm taking photos because I'm so happy to be in the heart of his house.”
An innocent luxury: Louis Vuitton, Ferrari…
Men, women and children circulate in the rooms and on the stairs of the residence of the head of state, who fled Damascus, in the upscale Malki district.
The residence, made up of three buildings of six floors each, was looted earlier after the capture of Damascus by a rebel coalition led by the radical Islamist group Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS). The huge rooms are empty and documents are scattered on the stairs. A painting depicting Assad is thrown on the ground at the entrance to the ground floor, surrounded by a vast garden decorated with a fountain, according to journalists.
On social networks, we can see a video of a crowd in bedrooms, stealing clothes and personal effects as well as bags from luxury brands, including Vuitton.
Assad's residence, like the presidential palace, some two km away, was closed to ordinary Syrians under the power of the president, who collapsed in the face of the rebel offensive after half a century. of undivided reign of his clan.
“Today, I am no longer afraid (..) my only concern is that we are united, and that we build this country with all our strength”adds Abou Omar. Visitors compare the residence to “a museum”.
In a very large garage, the rebels discovered a huge collection of luxury cars: Ferrari, Bentley, Audi, Mercedes…
At the presidential palace, on a hill overlooking Damascus, a reception room, where the head of state welcomed visitors, was set on fire. The vast room is completely charred and flames continue to emerge from the building, according to an AFP journalist.
Assad's fall sparked scenes of jubilation in various Syrian cities and among Syrians in the diaspora
“God was generous, and allowed us this moment that we had been waiting for since the 70s”says Omar, another visitor to the residence, aged 25. “He lived in luxury while we suffered.”
According to Russian public news agencies, the al-Assad couple fled Syria to find refuge in Moscow with their Russian ally, even if the Kremlin refused to confirm the presence of the couple and their three adult children. The eldest recently graduated from Moscow University with a degree in mathematics.
Last May, the Syrian presidency announced that'Asma al-Assad suffered from leukemia, after having already been treated between 2018 and 2019 for breast cancer. In Western media, this brunette lover of designer clothes and shoes was once nicknamed the “Arab Lady D”.
