The dictator's wife: Who is Asma Al-Assad?

The London-born wife of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad has faced criticism for her silence during the civil war

Asma Al-Assad
Bashar and Asma Al-Assad in Paris in 2010
(Image credit: Miguel Medina / AFP / Getty)

When British-born Asma al-Assad flew to London in December 2002, she and her husband, the Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, had the red carpet rolled out for them and were given a private appointment with the Queen.

The young Bashar offered hope of a close relationship between Syria and the West after years of oppression under the brutal rule of his father, Hafez al-Assad.

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