A report prepared for the German magazine Die Zeit has revealed details of the ousted Syrian president Bashar al-Assad’s secluded life in the Russian capital. For about a year, Assad has lived in isolation, spending much of his time playing online video games at a private villa outside Moscow.
According to the magazine, Assad and his family occupy three luxury apartments in a high-rise tower in Moscow’s prestigious “Moscow City” district — a complex that includes private malls, lavish offices, and residences of foreign politicians and businessmen.
The report says Assad lives under tight protection from a private security firm funded by the Russian government. He is allowed to move freely within the city and has been seen more than once strolling through the shopping mall beneath his building.
A source close to Assad told the magazine that he spends long hours daily gaming online and retreats frequently to his countryside villa. The source added that Assad has taken a “vow of silence,” as Russian President Vladimir Putin has banned him from making public statements or engaging in any political activity — part of the Kremlin’s tight control over all information concerning Syria.