In the aftermath of the Syrian government’s collapse and former President Bashar al-Assad’s departure to Moscow, citizens celebrated the abrupt end of a regime that had instilled fear and poverty for over five decades.
In the capital, Damascus, and in Aleppo, residents dismantled statues and tore down portraits of the president and his father, Hafez al-Assad. Some individuals ransacked the presidential palace, taking televisions and expressing astonishment at Mr. al-Assad’s collection of luxury vehicles, all while denouncing his extravagant lifestyle amid a country where 90 percent of the population lives below the poverty line.
The government’s fall on December 8 marked the conclusion of a brutal civil war that began in 2011, following Mr. al-Assad's violent suppression of peaceful pro-democracy protests during the Arab Spring. Approximately 618,000 people are estimated to have died in the conflict, with over 12 million—more than half of Syria’s population—displaced. Additionally, tens of thousands have reportedly disappeared into a prison system infamous for its human rights abuses.
As rebels released prisoners, many disoriented and malnourished individuals were reunited with loved ones. However, numerous Syrians awaiting news of missing family members faced grim uncertainty and resorted to searching prison records or hospital morgues for information.
Families returning from Lebanon, where many sought refuge during the war's peak, are eager to begin the long journey of rebuilding after one of the darkest conflicts in contemporary history.
This gallery contains graphic images.