The British wife of Syria’s deposed president Bashar al-Assad, Asma al-Assad, has filed for divorce and seeks to move to London, according to Turkish and Arab media reports. Asma, a dual British-Syrian national, reportedly applied to the Russian court for special permission to leave Moscow, which is currently being evaluated by Russian authorities.
Asma moved to Syria in 2000 and married Assad in the same year at the age of 25. Although her husband’s asylum request was accepted, he is still subject to severe restrictions, including being prohibited from leaving Moscow or engaging in any political activities. Russian authorities have also frozen his assets, which include 270 kilograms of gold, $2 billion, and 18 apartments in Moscow.
Asma’s decision to seek a divorce comes as a surprise, as the couple has been married for over two decades. However, reports suggest that she is dissatisfied with her life in Moscow and wants to start a new life in London.
The Kremlin has rejected reports of Asma’s desire to divorce and leave Russia, calling them “untrue.” Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov also denied reports that Assad has been confined to Moscow and had his property assets frozen.
It is worth noting that Bashar al-Assad’s brother, Maher al-Assad, has not been granted asylum in Russia and is currently under house arrest in the country. The Syrian leader was overthrown in early December during an offensive by rebel forces led by Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham (HTS).
