The Kremlin has swiftly moved to quash rumors circulating in Turkish media that suggest Asma al-Assad, the British-born spouse of deposed Syrian president Bashar al-Assad, is actively pursuing a divorce and harbors intentions to return to her former home in London. This development comes on the heels of the Assad family’s abrupt departure from Syria earlier this month, as rebel forces rapidly closed in on the capital, effectively ending the regime’s half-century grip on power.
In a statement attributed to Bashar al-Assad himself, disseminated via the Telegram messaging app, the ousted leader asserted that his hasty exit from Syria had not been premeditated. Rather, he claimed that an escalation in drone strikes targeting his position at a Russian-controlled airbase necessitated the impromptu evacuation. The transponder on Assad’s aircraft was reportedly switched off to evade detection as he fled to Moscow, underscoring the precarious nature of his predicament.
A Divisive Figure on the Global Stage
Asma al-Assad, 49, has long been a polarizing presence on the international scene. Born and raised in the United Kingdom, she abandoned a promising career in investment banking in 2000 to wed Bashar al-Assad. Critics have accused her of leveraging her Western upbringing and education to provide a veneer of respectability to her husband’s brutal suppression of dissent.
In a now-infamous 2011 profile in Vogue magazine, since scrubbed from the publication’s archives, Mrs. Assad was hailed as “the freshest and most magnetic of first ladies.” The glowing piece, which appeared just weeks before pro-democracy protests erupted in Syria, made no mention of the over 5,000 civilians who had already perished at the hands of the Assad regime.
Sanctions and War Profiteering Allegations
In 2020, the United States government took the extraordinary step of imposing sanctions directly on Asma al-Assad and several of her close relatives. Then-Secretary of State Mike Pompeo characterized the move as part of a concerted effort to bring an end to the regime’s “needless, brutal war against the Syrian people.” Pompeo further accused Mrs. Assad of exploiting her husband’s position to become “one of Syria’s most notorious war profiteers.”
I will make special note of the designation for the first time of Asma al-Assad, the wife of Bashar al-Assad, who with the support of her husband and members of her Akhras family has become one of Syria’s most notorious war profiteers.
– Mike Pompeo, former U.S. Secretary of State
Although Asma al-Assad retains her British citizenship, her U.K. assets have been frozen since March 2012. Foreign Secretary David Lammy recently made it abundantly clear that she would not be welcomed back to Britain, emphasizing her status as a sanctioned individual. Prime Minister Keir Starmer, when pressed on the possibility of revoking Mrs. Assad’s citizenship as was done with known Islamic State group members, demurred, deeming such discussions “far too early.”
Ties to Moscow and an Uncertain Future
The Assad family’s long-standing ties to Moscow, exemplified by relatives’ acquisition of tens of millions of dollars in Russian real estate over the years, made Russia a logical destination for the clan once their rule in Syria collapsed. Notably, Asma al-Assad’s recent leukemia diagnosis may have also factored into the decision, as Russia could presumably provide superior medical care compared to other potential havens.
However, the Kremlin’s conspicuous reticence regarding Bashar al-Assad’s presence within its borders, without so much as a photograph to document his arrival, suggests a calculated effort to downplay the association as Russia attempts to cultivate a working relationship with Syria’s nascent government. The Kremlin spokesperson’s terse dismissal of the divorce and asset-freezing claims, while resolute, still leaves ample room for speculation.
As the dust settles on Syria’s seismic political upheaval, the fate of the country’s former first lady remains shrouded in mystery. Whether the reports of Asma al-Assad’s intended split and repatriation will prove prescient or amount to mere rumor-mongering, her next moves will undoubtedly be closely monitored by the international community. For now, both her marriage and her future hang in a delicate balance, inextricably tied to the uncertain trajectory of post-Assad Syria and the machinations of its Russian benefactors.
