Remember Bashar al-Assad? The man who crushed his own people under a mountain of rubble and fear? Who turned peaceful protests into mass graves, dropped barrel bombs on neighbourhoods, and used chemical weapons on children? _

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He was once the face of evil — a war criminal with a seat at the head of state.

And now?

He’s gone. Ousted from Syria in late 2024 by a coalition of opposition forces, Assad fled Damascus like a thief in the night and landed in Russia, where Vladimir Putin rolled out the blood-red carpet. He now lives in Moscow, reportedly in a state-owned mansion, having been granted political asylum and dining on delicacies, shielded from war crimes tribunals by one of the world’s most shameless enablers.

How does this happen? How does a man responsible for the deaths of more than half a million people just slip off the global radar and start a new life like he’s some retired bureaucrat?

But before we point the finger only at Assad, take a step back. Look around.

Donald Trump, accused of inciting insurrection, election interference, sexual assault, and fraud, is somehow US president again. The man led an attempted coup on live television and sold gold sneakers to pay his legal fees – and millions cheered him on.

Benjamin Netanyahu, Israel’s longest-serving prime minister, faces corruption charges at home while overseeing a military campaign in Gaza that has drawn international condemnation for disproportionate force, civilian casualties, and the destruction of vital infrastructure. Yet, he too continues on, unrepentant, lecturing the world on democracy as the rubble smoulders behind him.

Assad. Trump. Netanyahu. Three men, different nations, different crimes – but one astonishing similarity: they are all still walking free. Still powerful. Still wealthy. Still untouched by the kind of accountability an ordinary person would face for stealing a loaf of bread. And they are not alone. The list of strongmen who have wreaked havoc and somehow been untouchable is long. Their crimes vary, but the pattern holds: power protects its own.

So we must ask — and keep asking — why?

Why do we, as a global community, allow monsters to rebrand themselves as misunderstood strongmen? Why do we let war criminals live in luxury, let conmen run for office again, let tyrants justify atrocities with televised speeches and smiling photo ops?

Is it because we’re tired? Because justice takes too long and evil has better PR? Is it fear? Or have we collectively decided that power itself is the only crime worth protecting?

Assad’s exile to Russia should have been a turning point. Trump’s attempted coup should have been a turning point. Netanyahu’s daily, constant ongoing atrocities should be a turning point — but it probably won’t be. Instead, they simply join a long, shameful list of unclosed chapters in the history of human cruelty. And unless we demand better, louder, and relentlessly, the next generation will simply inherit the same old story: the worst men win. Even though their stories are ugly and provoke nightmares, humanity needs to be constantly reminded, on a daily basis. Right now, if nothing else, I would like to know why, in the case of Assad, the headlines have gone quiet?

And they, the evildoers need to be constantly reminded that we, the people, will never forget and just allow them to slip quietly into the sunset with a cocktail in one hand and a protected bank account in the other.