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The British wife of Syria’s ousted 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 Syria’s ousted president Bashar al-Assad has filed for divorce after expressing dissatisfaction with her life in Moscow where her family sought asylum after the fall of the Assad regime, according to reports.
Asma al-Assad reportedly sought to move to her hometown London, according to Turkish and Arab media reports. She was born and raised in London by Syrian parents and moved to Syria in 2000 at the age of 25 after marrying Bashar al-Assad.
The reports claimed that Asma filed for divorce in a Russian court and sought special permission to leave Moscow. Her application is reportedly currently being evaluated by Russian authorities.
Earlier this month, Bashar al-Assad and his family, including Asma, were granted asylum in Moscow after the authoritarian leader was ousted by rebels from Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), marking the end of his family’s five-decade-long iron-fisted rule.
Although Bashar al-Assad’s asylum request was accepted, he is reportedly living in the foreign country under several restrictions. He is not permitted to leave Moscow or engage in any political activities.
According to The Jerusalem Post, Russian authorities have also frozen Bashar al-Assad’s assets, which include 270 kilograms of gold, USD 2 billion, and 18 apartments in Moscow.
He served as Syria’s president for 24 years, assuming the chair in 2000 after succeeding his father Hafez al-Assad, who ruled for nearly three decades from 1971 to 2000.
Meanwhile, the ousted Syrian president’s brother, Maher al-Assad, has not been granted asylum in Russia, and his request is still under review, according to the Saudi and Turkish reports. Maher and his family are under house arrest in Russia.
