How greed and vanity turned Asma al-Assad - a student from Acton - into the First Lady of Hell

Asma al-Assad exudes elegance, is youthful, and has a fashionable style – she stands out as one of the most captivating first ladies.

This marked the start of Vogue magazine's enthusiastic feature on Syria's 'energetic' first lady, referring to her as a 'rose in the desert' with a goal to establish a symbol of culture and secularism in an otherwise challenging area.

Gifted with intelligence and striking looks, she was described as a tall, slender beauty with a sharp analytical mind and a knack for dressing with subtle elegance. In March 2011, Asma found herself in a kind of paradise.

Having grown up in London, she had wed a charming leader in the form of the country’s president, Bashar, about ten years ago. Currently, she spent her time balancing the upbringing of their three kids with efforts to transform Syria into a trendy vacation hotspot. The influencers at Vogue were thoroughly enchanted.

The initial perception of Asma al-Assad is one of dynamism: she commands attention as she moves through the room, her striking red-soled shoes catching the eye. The fashion magazine also pointed out that this elegant young mother chooses not to wear Islamic headscarves, drives her own SUV, sports Christian Louboutin footwear, and maintains a home environment that is notably 'open and inclusive.'

Due to her progressive impact, Syria was emerging as not only the ‘safest’ nation in the Middle East but also rapidly becoming one of the most fashionable. She seemed eager for the country’s six million youth to take charge of this ambitious modernization by engaging as ‘active citizens’.

Next, the event known as the Arab Spring occurred. Just weeks after Asma appeared in Vogue's 'Power Issue,' her husband's forces started a brutal campaign against the so-called 'active citizens,' igniting a devastating civil war that would claim the lives of 600,000 Syrians and leave millions without homes.

Within a matter of months, Assad became synonymous with severe human rights violations, including the use of chlorine and sarin gas in attacks, as well as the sexual assault, kidnapping, and torture of those opposing his regime. Multiple times, his troops surrounded entire cities, leading to widespread food shortages that left children resorting to eating grass to survive.

Beneath a stylish facade, Asma al-Assad, the first lady, profited greatly from the ongoing conflict. She was born in the Acton area of London in 1975.

One of the many apartments owned by the Assads in Moscow. Today, Asma is starting a fresh chapter in the Russian capital, thanks to one of her last influential friends: Vladimir Putin.

Today, Asma is starting a fresh chapter in her life in Moscow, thanks to one of her few remaining influential friends: Vladimir Putin.

Similar to many stories of ascent and decline, Asma al-Assad's narrative is marked by ambition, arrogance, and an appalling sense of entitlement. This has led to widespread violence and devastation, ultimately placing her alongside her husband Bashar as one of the prominent figures in the roster of contemporary war criminals.

It all starts in Acton, a neighborhood in London, where she came into the world in 1975. Her father, Fawaz Akhras, was a cardiologist from Syria, known for his practice on Harley Street. Her mother, Sahar, served as a diplomat at the Syrian embassy.

Despite her parents' conservative Muslim upbringing, Asma received a secular education at Queen's College in Marylebone, where tuition fees are now nearly £9,000 per term (her friends nicknamed her 'Emma'). She continued her studies at King's College London, earning her degree in computer science and French literature in 1996.

She had a short stint at Deutsche Bank in New York before moving on to Morgan Stanley in the City. However, her relationship with Bashar led to an early end to her banking career.

They crossed paths in London in the early 1990s when the second son of Syria's leader, Hafez, was a tall and awkward medical student training to be an eye doctor. They formed a couple in 2000 after reconnecting during Asma's vacation at her aunt's house in Damascus. They tied the knot that same year; she was 25, while her husband was ten years older.

At that point, Bashar's future had taken a major turn due to the car accident that claimed the life of his brother Bassel, who was originally expected to succeed their father as president.

When Hafez, who had a strong and repressive grip on power for thirty years, died later that year, Bashar took over as president in a closely controlled election where he was the sole candidate on the ballot, securing an impressive 99.74 percent of the votes.

Asma tied the knot with the charming leader of Syria, President Bashar al-Assad.

The English woman who used to be referred to as a 'rose in the desert' but is now widely recognized as the 'first lady of Hell' has embarked on her new life in exile this week, living in a luxurious prison, according to Guy Adams.

At first, the couple only pretended to care about making changes in the country. With the assistance of a stylish American public relations firm called Brown Lloyd James, Asma set out to transform her country into a cultural hub by constructing large art galleries and cultural parks.

Famous personalities gathered in Damascus, such as Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt, along with Sting and Damon Albarn. Their presence captivated the EU and the UN, leading to a wave of international funding.

Beneath the contemporary exterior, the Assads remained traditional autocrats who permitted no opposition to their rule and showed little patience for free expression or any other Western luxuries.

When the civil war broke out, they enlisted the aggressive London law firm Carter Ruck to send strong letters to newspapers that had published articles about their family matters that they found unsatisfactory.

Soon, reports emerged about chemical weapon attacks, alongside discussions of broader human rights violations. Between 2011 and 2015, approximately 13,000 people, including children, were tortured and murdered at Sednaya prison. This information slowly transformed Asma and her husband into global outcasts.

As the situation escalated, Vogue took down the article titled ‘Rose in the Desert’ from their website. Asma became known as a contemporary Marie Antoinette, indulging in shopping while her country faced turmoil.

In 2012, a massive email leak from WikiLeaks exposed that she had spent £250,000 on 130 items of furniture during the initial year of the conflict. To avoid sanctions, she had her hairdresser make purchases in Dubai and used a fake name when shopping at Harrods.

In a message to a fixer in London, she humorously referred to herself as the "true ruler" of the Assad household, requesting items that ranged from the newest Harry Potter novel to a pair of lavish Louboutin stilettos adorned with crystals, worth £5,000.

Driving the shopping frenzy was a strange twist of fate: the ongoing civil war in Syria was proving to be unexpectedly beneficial for Asma's finances.

As humanitarian assistance poured into the country, UN agencies and relief organizations had to collaborate with a charity that she had established, known as the Syria Trust, in order to provide supplies through areas controlled by Assad's regime.

By 2017, the charity had become the primary recipient of UN funds in Syria, surpassing all other local organizations. This elevated the first lady to a powerful position within a large network of influence. In 2020, the US government imposed sanctions on Asma, labeling her as one of the most infamous individuals profiting from the war in Syria.

At that point, Asma was again being showcased by the Assad government’s media as a means of propaganda, following her diagnosis with breast cancer. Her choice to receive treatment in Syrian hospitals—reflecting her 'patriotic' stance, rather than going abroad—was prominently featured on the presidency's social media platforms. Earlier this year, it was also revealed that she had been diagnosed with leukemia.

Although the conflict resulted in the loss of her valued reputation, Asma continues to enjoy immense wealth. According to U.S. estimates, her family is worth around $2 billion, with their assets hidden in various offshore tax havens and real estate holdings.

Some of that money has gone into acquiring at least 18 upscale apartments in the City of Capitals complex, situated in Moscow’s prestigious skyscraper area, where the oldest son, Hafez, is pursuing a PhD. This is where the English woman, once referred to as a ‘rose in the desert’ but now often called the ‘first lady of Hell,’ has started her new life in exile this week, living in a lavish prison.