Photojournalist Salwan Georges Documents Syria’s “New Hope” After Assad’s Fall

September 06, 2025 – Syria/France –

As the Assad regime crumbled in December 2024, Syria’s atmosphere transformed — and Iraqi-born photojournalist Salwan Georges was on the ground to witness and record every moment. In a recent France 24 Perspective segment, Georges spoke movingly of returning to a country where citizens had nearly given up hope. “Hope is a new thing for them,” he said.

Georges, a photographer for The Washington Post, grew up in Syria and returned after decades abroad to chronicle what he described as “the fall of Assad.” His assignment has become more than journalism—it is a mission deeply tied to his identity, memories, and faith in change.

His vivid account of Syria’s transformation is now on display at the Visa pour l’Image photojournalism festival in Perpignan, France. Through his lens, he captures not only the destruction of war but also the fragile stirrings of new beginnings: families returning to ruined homes, communities rebuilding amid rubble, and civilians tentatively reclaiming agency.

For those watching Syria’s post-Assad transition, Georges’s imagery resonates deeply. It offers rare firsthand testimony from a place long cut off from independent media. His work challenges viewers to look beyond headlines to the human stories etched into shattered buildings and hopeful faces alike.

From TJC’s perspective, Georges’s reporting underscores the critical importance of grounded, courageous storytelling in conflict zones. In Syria’s moment of transition, such documentation can shape global understanding of the real costs of dictatorship—and the complicated path toward rebuilding once it falls.

Reference – 

https://www.france24.com/en/tv-shows/perspective/20250904-photojournalist-salwan-georges-on-capturing-the-fall-of-syria-s-assad