Syrian Actress Diala Al-Wadi Killed in Home in Damascus

Syrian actress Diala Al-Wadi was killed in her home in Al-Malki, Damascus, Syria.

The murder was described as a case of robbery.

According to Syrian authorities and local activists, the crime occurred inside the actress’s residence in one of the most heavily guarded areas of the capital. 

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights reported that the assailant broke into her home after following her, strangled her, and then stole her belongings, including money and jewelry, before fleeing the scene.

Al-Wadi held British citizenship and came from a prominent musical family. 

Her father, Salhi Al-Wadi, was a pioneering figure in Syria’s academic music scene and a founding member of the Higher Institute of Music and the Syrian Symphony Orchestra.

Her mother, Cynthia, a British national and violinist, was a classmate of her father at the Royal Academy of Music in London during his studies between 1952 and 1960.

Al-Wadi received the Syrian Order of Merit in 1995, the highest honor granted by the state, and is regarded as a foundational figure in the Syrian and Arab music scenes.

Al-Wadi studied at the Higher Institute of Dramatic Arts in Damascus, graduating in 1986 alongside some of the most prominent names in Syrian drama, including Hatim Ali, Ghassan Massoud, Aref Al-Tawil, Maher Salibi, Dala Al-Rahbi, Mayada Deeb, Mahmoud Othman, and Fouad Hassan.