Syrians after the fall of Assad

Syrians have finally got their voices back. After 50 years of living under the cruelty of their President, Bashar al-Assad, they can now speak freely without fear, although some are still cautious. We talk to Syrians across the country, including Ibraheem from Aleppo. He tells host Mark Lowen: “I couldn’t ever think of this moment… this is years and years of fear and hate that has ended.”

Mark also speaks to three women, relieved to see the end of Assad but uncertain about what the future holds for their country. “As Syrian people we all know that we are a little bit afraid of the future and what might happen because it’s totally unknown,” Remy, a dentist in Aleppo, tells us. “But at the same time, I believe that nothing could match the cruelty of the Assad regime.”

Meanwhile, some six million Syrians have been watching events from outside the country, as they live abroad as refugees. Most are in neighbouring countries, including Turkey, while almost one million live in Germany. We bring together Syrians in Germany, Italy and Turkey to discuss their reaction to the downfall of Assad and ask whether they plan to return to their homeland.

BBC producers: Angela Sheeran, Laura Cress and Isabella Bull
Boffin Media producer: Richard Hollingham

An EcoAudio certified Boffin Media production in partnership with the BBC OS team.

(Photo: Luna Alhafez in Homs Square. Credit: Luna Alhafez)