Syria's Bashar al-Assad's quarter century in power

Syria's Bashar al-Assad: An unlikely rise to power and the end of his brutal reign

Syrian President Bashar al-Assad oversaw a merciless crackdown on a pro-democracy revolt that morphed into one of the bloodiest wars of the century.

Syria’s Bashar Al Assad’s quarter century in power

In 2000, he won referendum with more than 97% of vote at which he was the only candidate

Syria's Bashar al-Assad's quarter century in power

Syrian President Bashar al-Assad was propelled to power following the death of his father Hafez in 2000.

The 'reluctant' president of Syria and a quarter of a century in power

Mr. Bashar al-Assad (before) at his father’s funeral in 2000 Born on September 11, 1965, Mr. Bashar al-Assad is the third son in a family of five children of the late leader Hafez al-Assad, President of Syria since 1971 after a political upheaval. As the second child in the family, he never thought he would become president. However, everything turned upside down when his brother Bassel al-Assad, whom his father focused on cultivating as his s…