Asma Assad, British-born Wife of Deposed Syrian Leader, Severely Ill
Reports indicate Asma Assad is battling leukaemia with a 50/50 chance of survival while isolated in Russia
Asma Assad, Bashar Assad, Syria, Leukaemia, Moscow, UK
Moscow: So, it looks like Asma Assad, the wife of the ousted Syrian leader, is really struggling with her health. Reports say she’s got leukaemia and her chances of pulling through are about 50/50. That’s pretty tough news.
She’s been isolated to keep her safe from infections, which means she can’t even be around other people right now. It’s a rough situation for her.
Asma and her kids made their way to Moscow as things got chaotic in Damascus. They left before Bashar Assad, and now her dad, a well-known cardiologist, is looking after her. He’s reportedly heartbroken about her condition.
Back in May, the Syrian presidency announced that she had been diagnosed with an acute form of leukaemia. This isn’t her first battle with cancer; she had breast cancer before but was declared free of it in 2019.
Now, it seems her leukaemia has come back after a period of remission. There are whispers that she’s feeling trapped in Russia and might want to divorce Bashar and get treatment in London.
The Kremlin has denied those rumors, but the Assad family hasn’t said much. Meanwhile, the UK’s Foreign Secretary made it clear that Asma isn’t welcome back in the UK, given her status.
He mentioned that she’s a sanctioned individual, so it’s a no-go for her. The Prime Minister also said it’s too soon to decide if she could lose her UK citizenship.
Interestingly, some British officials have been visiting Damascus to chat with the new Syrian regime, which is now led by an Islamist group. It’s a complicated situation all around.