Luna Sibl, on the occasion of her participation in the Assad regime's delegation at the Geneva II conference, in January 2014. (Credit: Philippe Desmazes/AFP)
A presumed love affair with Bashar al-Assad, a fierce rivalry with his wife Asma, threats to reveal the secrets of the palace, suspicions of espionage for Israel.
More than two years after the death of Luna al-Shibl, former special adviser to the deposed Syrian dictator, an investigation published Sunday by the British weekly The Observer brings new information to light about the spectacular downfall of the woman who was long at the heart of the Assad regime and the suspicious circumstances of her death on July 5, 2024, in a car accident near Damascus.
The information presented by the newspaper strengthens the hypothesis that the death of the former propaganda figure for the Syrian regime was anything but accidental. Some people within the circles of Syrian power had even anticipated this outcome months earlier. "We were waiting for news of her assassination," an anonymous source close to the circles of the former regime told The Observer, while adding that Luna was "digging her own grave."
The investigation brings new details about the circumstances of the death of the former Al Jazeera anchor: A witness who arrived at the scene just moments after the crash told The Observer that the markings observed on the vehicle appeared to indicate that it had been "deliberately rammed" and "pushed off the road." Even more troubling, the security escort charged with Shibil's safety was reportedly delayed in traffic at the time of the incident, according to this witness.
A phone in a trash bin
The Observer reports having been able to examine a brain scan of the victim, performed at Al-Shami Hospital in Damascus that same day. According to the newspaper, it appears consistent with trauma caused by a blunt object rather than brain injury resulting from the crash.
Another unexplained detail: The special adviser's personal phone was later found discarded in a trash bin, while a second phone she used for work disappeared and was not among the belongings brought to the hospital.
The British weekly also claims to have seen video footage showing Shibl's driver and members of her security detail being led away from the hospital in handcuffs by Syrian intelligence agents.
The theory of assassination is not new. The Observer returns in particular to a subject that has long fueled rumors among the circles of Syrian power: the nature of the relationship between Shibil and Bashar al-Assad.
According to Ibrahim Hamidi, a Syrian journalist cited by the weekly, "they had an intimate sexual relationship. She was his girlfriend." She reportedly also accommodated "the president's sexual appetite" and was tasked with "bringing him girls," says the Syrian journalist. These claims are corroborated by Amira — a pseudonym — a former employee at the office of the first lady, Asma al-Assad.
'I am the real First Lady'
As the adviser grew closer to the president, however, her relationship with the first lady reportedly deteriorated significantly. Abdo al-Dabbagh, a cousin of Asma al-Assad, described an unbearable situation to the British newspaper: "Imagine: you’re sitting with your husband and his mistress and you can't do anything about it."
Whatever the true nature of her relationship with Assad, the protection Shibl enjoyed appears to have gradually eroded. According to the investigation, her sidelining began in early 2023. At that time, she started threatening Assad’s inner circle, asserting "I know everything" and that she was ready to speak. She reportedly even said: "I am the real First Lady."
Shibl was also suspected by Iran, Assad's ally, of being a spy, The Observer writes. "She knew too much about everything," Ibrahim Hamidi told the weekly. On April 1, 2024, an Israeli strike on the Iranian consulate in Damascus killed seven members of the Revolutionary Guard. Shibl’s brother, a Syrian general, and his wife were then arrested, further raising suspicions around the former adviser.
