Once hailed as a champion for women’s rights in the Middle East, Asma al-Assad, Syria’s British-born former first lady, has fled into exile with her husband, Syrian President Bashar al-Assad.
UK officials have confirmed that she is no longer welcome in London. Asma, 49, along with her husband and their three children, sought refuge in Moscow after rebels ousted Bashar al-Assad, although the Kremlin has not officially confirmed the reports.
This marks another blow to Asma al-Assad’s reputation, which once centered around her glamour and charm, seen as key assets to the Syrian regime. Born in London in 1975, Asma spent much of her life in the UK, where her parents still reside in West London.
Despite holding British citizenship, UK Foreign Minister David Lammy emphasized on Monday that she is not welcome in the country.
He said, “I’ve seen mentioned in the last few days that Asma al-Assad (is) potentially someone with UK citizenship who might attempt to come into our country, and I want it confirmed that she’s a sanctioned individual and is not welcome here in the UK.”
Asma’s UK assets were frozen in 2012 as part of European sanctions aimed at her husband’s regime. This has raised questions about the potential for her to lose her British passport.
Researcher Bader Mousa Al-Saif from Chatham House noted, “If that could be happening to an unknown in an extremist camp, I think the same, if not more, warrants for the case of Asma al-Assad.”
Prime Minister Keir Starmer stated on Monday that it was “far too early” to discuss stripping her nationality, while Minister Pat McFadden added, “We have had no contact” with the former first lady.
Asma al-Assad’s journey began in London, where she was born to Syrian parents—cardiologist Fawaz al-Akhras and retired diplomat Sahar Otri. She was educated in the UK, attending Queen’s College and later King’s College, where she earned degrees in computer science and French literature before moving into finance. She met Bashar al-Assad in the late 1990s through her work in banking, and they married shortly after he became president of Syria in 2000.
Initially praised for her efforts to promote women’s rights and modernize Syria, Asma’s reputation deteriorated as her husband’s regime violently suppressed the 2011 anti-government protests, which led to a full-scale civil war.
Critics accused her of remaining silent during the violence and profiting from the war through her Syria Trust for Development charity, which was accused of centralizing foreign donations. In 2020, the US imposed sanctions on her, with then-Secretary of State Mike Pompeo calling her “one of Syria’s most notorious war profiteers.”
Asma al-Assad’s fall from grace underscores the intersection of politics, personal image, and international relations, with her relocation to Russia marking a significant chapter in the ongoing Syrian conflict.
