Luna Chebel, on the occasion of her participation with the Assad regime delegation at the Geneva II conference, in January 2014. (Credit: Philippe Desmazes/AFP)
Mysterious videos were leaked Saturday by the Saudi state-owned al-Arabiya channel on the eve of the first anniversary of former President Bashar Assad’s downfall in Syria. The footage quickly triggered strong reactions online, showing the blatant cynicism displayed by the ousted Syrian president and his former special adviser, Luna Shebel — who died in a suspicious accident on July 2, 2024 — seen at his side in the video.One notable clip shows Assad relaxed, wearing sunglasses, driving a Honda in eastern Ghouta, the former opposition stronghold besieged and bombarded for five years by pro-government forces, including with chemical weapons. The dictator sneers, “Cursed be Ghouta!” before bursting out laughing with his then-special adviser. According to several observers, the footage dates back to 2018. It reprises a scene released that...
Mysterious videos were leaked Saturday by the Saudi state-owned al-Arabiya channel on the eve of the first anniversary of former President Bashar Assad’s downfall in Syria. The footage quickly triggered strong reactions online, showing the blatant cynicism displayed by the ousted Syrian president and his former special adviser, Luna Shebel — who died in a suspicious accident on July 2, 2024 — seen at his side in the video.One notable clip shows Assad relaxed, wearing sunglasses, driving a Honda in eastern Ghouta, the former opposition stronghold besieged and bombarded for five years by pro-government forces, including with chemical weapons. The dictator sneers, “Cursed be Ghouta!” before bursting out laughing with his then-special adviser. According to several observers, the footage dates back to 2018. It reprises a scene...
