Following nearly 53 years of devastating, totalitarian rule over Syria, the Assad regime was deposed by rebel forces after the country’s capital, Damascus, was captured on Dec. 8.

The regime first came to power in 1971, when Hafez al-Assad gained the presidency. He died in 2001, but passed power to his son, Bashar, who has ruled the country with an iron fist for the last 24 years.

The rebel forces who deposed the regime swept across the country at a lightning pace, capturing Syria’s three biggest cities in 11 days.

Assad and his family left the country and are currently residing in Russia, where they were granted asylum by President Vladimir Putin.