At a time when Syrians are marking the first anniversary of the overthrow of Bashar al-Assad and his iron-fisted rule, videos of the former president talking about various events in the country are doing the rounds on social media. The "leaked" videos have been posted online by Al Arabiya and claim to capture private conversations between Assad and his former adviser Luna al-Shibl, who died in July 2024 after being injured in a car crash. The date of the footage is not known but shows Assad driving a car.
In one of the clips, the former Syrian president is seen mocking the people, saying they spend on mosques but "can't even afford food".
In another video, al-Assad shares what goes through his mind on the situation in Syria: "I just don't feel ashamed, I feel disgusted."
In another part of the video, a voice - believed to be of al-Shibl - informs al-Assad that they are crossing Ghouta, the site of a major chemical weapons attack in August 2013, carried by for forces of the former president. "May God curse Ghouta, it needs slaughter," al-Assad responds laughing.
🚨‼️A highly controversial video
— MOSCOW NEWS 🇷🇺 (@MOSCOW_EN) December 6, 2025
Al Arabiya channel obtained a leaked recording of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad during a conversation with his advisor, Luna al-Shibl.
Luma al-Shibl asks Assad: "What should we say as we leave Ghouta...?"
Bashar al-Assad replies: "May God… pic.twitter.com/bHVFNGPBXk
He also jokes about Russian president Vladimir Putin, calling him "bloated" and suggesting it's due to cosmetic procedures.
#Assad thanks #Putin in front of the cameras and walks behind him… but mocks him in exclusive leaked recordings obtained by Al #Arabiya: “he's all cosmetic procedures.”
— Qusay Noor (@QUSAY_NOOR_) December 7, 2025
Note: I removed all background noises, such as the sound of the car or the road, so that the Russians can… pic.twitter.com/MZ69cS4MkJ
The Al Arabiya report said that the leaked material had been kept inside the Presidential Palace in an envelope marked "Top Secret," along with personal documents belonging to al-Shibl.
How social media responded:
"Syrians - and the world - deserve to see the truth behind closed doors. Accountability starts with evidence," said one X user.
"This guy is a psychopath criminal," a user posted on Reddit. "I hope that one day he will be put to trial by the very same people he is disgusted by," said another.
Assad fled Syria for Russia a year ago as rebels commanded by Syria's new president, Ahmed al-Sharaa, seized Damascus and ended his rule, more than 13 years into a war that spiralled out of an uprising against Assad.
The Assad family, members of Syria's Alawite minority community, ruled Syria for 54 years.
The Syrian war killed hundreds of thousands of people and displaced millions more since 2011, driving some five million into neighbouring countries as refugees.
The UN refugee agency said on Monday that some 1.2 million refugees, in addition to 1.9 million internally displaced people, had gone home since Assad was toppled, but a decline in global funding could deter others.
The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs says humanitarian needs across Syria are acute, with some 16.5 million people needing aid in 2025.
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