It was reported before the Syrian civil war that he had influence on the Syrian president in domestic affairs. On 15 March 2012, "The Guardian" published allegedly intercepted emails that appeared to show that he was advising the Syrian President from the UK during the crackdown on anti-regime protesters. According to "The Guardian", Akhras used a private email channel to the Syrian president offering advice on how his government should spin its suppression of the uprising, including how best to rebut apparent video footage of Syrian forces torturing children. Speaking to "The Telegraph" in 2012, Akhras drew comparisons between the start of the Syrian civil war and the 2011 England riots.