Asma al-Assad, the wife of Syria’s ousted president Bashar al-Assad, has filed for divorce, reportedly due to dissatisfaction with her life in Moscow, where she and her family are living under asylum. According to Turkish and Arab media reports, Asma is seeking to relocate to London.
Born and raised in London to Syrian parents, Asma, a British-Syrian national, moved to Syria in 2000 at the age of 25. She married Bashar al-Assad that same year. Now 49, Asma has applied for a divorce in a Russian court and is requesting special permission to leave Moscow. Russian authorities are currently reviewing her request, according to The Jerusalem Post.
Earlier this month, Asma and her family, along with Bashar al-Assad, were granted asylum in Moscow following the dramatic overthrow of Bashar al-Assad by rebels from the Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham (HTS). This marked the end of the Assad family’s five-decade-long rule over Syria.
Although the HTS is designated as a terrorist organization by the US, Washington recently lifted the USD 10 million bounty on its leader, Abu Mohammad al-Julani. Bashar al-Assad, who served as Syria’s president for 24 years, is believed to be facing severe restrictions in Russia. He is reportedly not allowed to leave Moscow or engage in political activities. Additionally, Russian authorities have frozen his assets, including 270 kilograms of gold, USD 2 billion, and 18 apartments in Moscow.
Reports from Saudi and Turkish media suggest that Bashar al-Assad’s brother, Maher al-Assad, has not been granted asylum and is currently under house arrest in Russia. His asylum request is still under review.
