LISTEN | FRONT BURNER: Front Burner 36:28 How Syria's former first lady aided the bloody regimeWhen Bashar al-Assad fled Syria in December 2024, it brought a sudden end to a family dynasty that had ruled the country for more than fifty years. The collapse of his government also prompted a new wave of reporting into the lives of the Assads — and particularly Bashar’s wife, Asma al-Assad. Before she became Syria’s first lady, Asma was Emma Akhras, a British-born investment banker from West London. She joins guest host Jason Markusoff to discuss the transformation of Syria's former first lady and her complicity in her husband's regime. For transcripts of Front Burner, please visit: https://www.cbc.ca/radio/frontburner/transcriptsSubscribe to Front Burner on your favourite podcast app.