The Syrian leader is Bashar al-Assad, who has been in power since 2000. He is the current President of Syria and was previously the Prime Minister from 2000 to 2003. Assad is a member of the Ba'ath Party, which has been in power in Syria since 1963. He is also the commander-in-chief of the Syrian Armed Forces. Assad has been widely criticized for his human rights abuses and his role in the Syrian Civil War.