Diana of Damascus | We call her Emma Ep2

Diana of Damascus | We call her Emma Ep2

From Lucky Boy | Tortoise Investigates by The Observer

July 14, 2026 · 46 min · Season 20 · Episode 2

About this episode

The episode explores the arrival of Asma in Syria and the mixed perceptions of her intentions amidst the regime's influence.

When Asma arrives in Syria, there’s a palpable sense of hope. People in the country and around the world dare to believe that she is a force for good. Chloe hears from people who worked with her in the early years who - despite everything that’s happened - still believe her intentions were genuine but that she became trapped by the regime. We call her Emma is a 6 part original series from Tortoise Investigates and The Observer. To binge listen to all episodes today, ad-free, subscribe to The Observer and use the code AUDIO50 to get 50% off your annual subscription. You'll get access to: This series and all our podcasts before anyone else Ad-free listening Premium newsletters Puzzles from the inventors of the cryptic crossword Exclusive offers from our partners including Mubi and iescape Tickets to join Observer events in our newsroom or online Or subscribe to Observer+ on Apple Podcasts or Spotify to listen to all our podcasts, including this one, without any ads. Reporter - Chloe Hadjimatheou Producer - Gary Marshall Sound design - Karla Patella Podcast artwork - Lola Williams & Eliza Bourner Executive producers - Jasper Corbett and Basia Cummings Hosted on Acast. See…

People in this episode

Host: Chloe Hadjimatheou

Topics covered

  • Syria
  • hope
  • regime
  • true crime
  • documentary
  • culture

Keywords

  • Asma
  • Syria
  • hope
  • regime
  • Chloe Hadjimatheou
  • Tortoise Investigates
  • The Observer

Sponsors

The Observer

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: Tortoise Investigates, The Observer

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