LONDON: The transformation of Asma Assad from a vaunted English 鈥渞ose in the desert鈥� to international pariah is the subject of fresh media scrutiny after the fall of the Assad regime in Syria.

A gushing March 2011 Vogue profile of former President Bashar Assad鈥檚 wife, published weeks before the Arab Spring and later deleted, highlights the destruction of her reputation, the Daily Mail reported.

The 鈥淧ower Issue鈥� profile described the London-born computer science graduate as 鈥渙n a mission to create a beacon of culture and secularism鈥� in the Middle East.

鈥淭he first impression of Asma Assad is movement: A determined swath cut through space with a flash of red soles,鈥� it said.

The 鈥渢hin, long-limbed beauty with a trained analytic mind who dresses with cunning understatement鈥� reportedly wanted Syria鈥檚 youth to spearhead modernization by becoming 鈥渁ctive citizens.鈥�

But soon after the profile was published, she and her husband became the public face of a brutal crackdown on popular protests that culminated in Syria鈥檚 13-year civil war, leading to more than 600,000 deaths and the displacement of millions.

Asma Assad turned to London law firm Carter Ruck as the civil war broke out. Newspapers who covered the family鈥檚 affairs received threatening letters, but nothing could prevent her and her husband from becoming international pariahs after regime forces carried out a series of chemical weapons attacks against civilians.

Vogue removed the 鈥渞ose in the desert鈥� profile as a WikiLeaks email hack revealed that she had spent $318,000 on luxury furniture during the first year of the civil war. US estimates put the Assad family鈥檚 wealth at $2 billion.

Asma Assad was placed under US sanctions in 2020 and described as one of Syria鈥檚 鈥渕ost notorious war profiteers.鈥�

The former first lady owns at least 18 luxury apartments in Moscow鈥檚 skyscraper district, where she is set to begin a new life in exile with her husband.