The Kremlin has dismissed rumors of Asma al-Assad’s divorce and potential return to London, with the Syrian first lady’s future remaining uncertain amidst ongoing controversy.
Kremlin Denies Reports of Asma al-Assad’s Divorce and Return to London
Asma al-Assad, the British-born wife of ousted Syrian leader Bashar al-Assad, has been at the center of controversy for years. The Kremlin has now denied reports that she is seeking a divorce and hoping to return to London.
The reports in Turkish media suggested that Asma al-Assad wanted to end her marriage and leave Russia, where she and her husband were granted asylum after a rebel coalition overthrew the former president’s regime and took control of Damascus. However, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov dismissed these claims, stating, “No, they do not correspond to reality.”
Peskov also denied reports that Assad had been confined to Moscow and that his property assets had been frozen. Russia was a staunch ally of the Assad regime and offered it military support during the civil war.
Asma al-Assad is a dual Syrian-British national, but the UK foreign secretary has previously said she would not be allowed to return to Britain. Speaking in parliament earlier this month, David Lammy stated, “I want it confirmed that she’s a sanctioned individual and is not welcome here in the UK.” He added he would do “everything I can in my power” to ensure no member of the Assad family “finds a place in the UK.”
Background on Asma al-Assad
Asma married Bashar al-Assad about five months after he became Syria’s president in 2000. She was born and raised in London to Syrian parents, and left the UK to marry Assad in Syria when she was 25. Throughout her 24 years as Syria’s first lady, Mrs Assad was a subject of curiosity in western media.
A controversial 2011 Vogue profile called her “a rose in the desert” and described her as “the freshest and most magnetic of first ladies.” However, just one month later, Mrs Assad was criticized for remaining silent while her husband violently repressed pro-democracy campaigners at the start of the Syrian civil war. The conflict went on to claim the lives of around half a million people, with her husband accused of using chemical weapons against civilians.
In 2016, Mrs Assad told Russian state-backed television she had rejected a deal to offer her safe passage out of the war-torn nation in order to stand by her husband. She announced she was being treated for breast cancer in 2018 and said she had made a full recovery one year later. In May this year, she was diagnosed with leukaemia and began treatment for the disease.
The Kremlin’s denial of reports about Asma al-Assad’s divorce and return to London has brought attention to her situation once again. With her husband’s regime still in power in Syria, and her own status as a sanctioned individual, it remains unclear what her future holds.
