Asma al-Assad, the wife of former Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, has reportedly filed for divorce and is seeking to move to London.
According to Turkish and Arab media sources cited by the Jerusalem Post, Asma has submitted her divorce petition to a Russian court and is awaiting approval to relocate to the UK.
Asma, who holds dual British-Syrian citizenship, spent her early years in London with her Syrian parents before moving to Syria in 2000, where she married Bashar al-Assad that same year.
The couple met while Assad was studying in London, where Asma worked at JP Morgan.
Asma has faced significant health challenges, including two battles with cancer. She was diagnosed with leukemia in May of this year, after previously overcoming breast cancer in 2019.
Reports from The Times of India suggest that Asma’s divorce filing comes at a time when Bashar al-Assad is facing restrictions after being granted asylum in Russia.
He is reportedly unable to leave Moscow or engage in political activities, and his assets, including 270 kilograms of gold, $2 billion, and 18 apartments in Moscow, have been frozen by Russian authorities.
Bashar al-Assad was ousted from power in early December by rebel forces under the leadership of Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), marking the end of the Baath regime that had ruled Syria for 61 years.
