After 24 years

Assad’s wife Asam wants a divorce

Asma al-Assad was married to the "Butcher of Damascus" for 24 years.

(Bild: AFP )

Not only is the reign of former dictator Bashar al-Assad in Syria over, but apparently also his marriage: according to media reports, his wife Asma, who stood by the side of the "Butcher of Damascus" for 24 years, wants to separate from him and leave for England. 

Two weeks have passed since the fall of al-Assad - he is now in Russia with his wife. But the former first lady does not want to stay there for long. As reported by "The Jerusalem Post", the 49-year-old, who grew up in the UK, wants to move to London. 

Asma al-Assad had previously declared that she was unhappy in Moscow. She is said to have approached a Russian court to apply to leave the country. The reason she gave was urgent medical treatment - the application is currently being examined, according to the report. 

Asma al-Assad led a life of luxury while the Syrian population suffered under her husband's regime.

(Bild: APA/AFP)

The 49-year-old has British and Syrian citizenship. She has Syrian parents, but was born in London. She only moved to Syria in 2000 and married Assad when she was 25 years old. 

Asma al-Assad is said to be seriously ill
Assad's wife is suffering from cancer, as his office announced in the spring. She is suffering from acute myeloid leukemia - an aggressive cancer of the bone marrow and blood. She was unable to attend public appointments for some time. The former president's wife had previously survived breast cancer - it was announced in 2019 that she had overcome this. 

Kremlin denies media reports about divorce
Russia rejects the media reports: "No, they do not correspond to reality," explained government spokesman Dmitry Peskov when asked about the divorce rumors. 

Asylum under strict restrictions
Only shortly before the conquest of Syria's capital, al-Assad had fled hastily to Russia, where he was granted asylum. His wife and three adult children were already waiting for him in Moscow. With his ally Vladimir Putin, the former ruler is subject to strict restrictions: He is not allowed to leave Moscow or engage in political activities, for example. In addition, his assets have been frozen - these are said to include 270 kilograms of gold, two billion dollars and 18 apartments in Moscow.