Is the wife of deposed Syrian President Assad dissatisfied with life in Russia? Which led her to file for divorce

Last updated:December 23, 2024, 11:12 AM IST

The British wife of ousted Syrian President Bashar al-Assad has filed for divorce after expressing dissatisfaction with her life in Moscow.

Bashar al-Assad with his wife Asma al-Assad | File image

The British wife of ousted Syrian President Bashar al-Assad has reportedly filed for divorce after expressing dissatisfaction with her life in Moscow, where her family sought asylum following the fall of the Assad regime.

According to Turkish and Arabic media reports, Asma al-Assad allegedly wanted to move to her hometown of London. She was born and raised in London to Syrian parents. In 2000, at the age of 25, she moved to Syria after marrying Bashar al-Assad.

According to the reports, Asma filed for divorce in a Russian court and requested special permission to leave Moscow. According to reports, her application is currently being examined by the Russian authorities.

Earlier this month, Bashar al-Assad and his family, including Asma, were granted asylum in Moscow after the authoritarian leader was ousted from Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) by rebels, marking the end of his family’s five-decade rule Rule of thumb.

Although Bashar al-Assad’s asylum application was accepted, he is reportedly living abroad under several restrictions. He is not allowed to leave Moscow or engage in political activity.

According to the Jerusalem Post, Russian authorities have also frozen Bashar al-Assad’s assets, including 270 kilograms of gold, $2 billion and 18 apartments in Moscow.

He served as Syria’s president for 24 years, taking over the presidency in 2000 after succeeding his father Hafez al-Assad, who ruled for nearly three decades from 1971 to 2000.

Meanwhile, the brother of ousted Syrian president Maher al-Assad has not been granted asylum in Russia and his application is still under review, according to Saudi and Turkish reports. Maher and his family are under house arrest in Russia.