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Unexpected Encounter: Exiled Syrian Meets Assad in Moscow

12/23/2025

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Summary

Story summary

A Syrian expatriate in Moscow dined at the upscale restaurant Sixty and unexpectedly encountered Bashar al-Assad, the ousted president of Syria.
The restaurant's views and clientele of political elites prompted the diner to refrain from taking photos.
The Assad family has been associated with brutal autocracy for more than fifty years and remains in Moscow after losing power in Syria.

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Story summary

A Syrian expatriate in Moscow dined at the upscale restaurant Sixty and unexpectedly encountered Bashar al-Assad, the ousted president of Syria.
The restaurant's views and clientele of political elites prompted the diner to refrain from taking photos.
The Assad family has been associated with brutal autocracy for more than fifty years and remains in Moscow after losing power in Syria.