Part 2/8:
Originally, Bashar al-Assad inherited the presidency in 2000 amid hopes of reform following the death of his father, Hafez al-Assad. However, despite the initial promise he showed, his administration quickly dissolved into authoritarianism. His tenure is marked by consistent suppression of dissent, particularly during the protests that began in 2011, where he ridiculed demonstrators' demands for democracy as part of a "foreign conspiracy."