Russia denies reports that Bashar al-Assad’s wife, Asma, filed for divorce
Kremlin also denies that UK-born ‘Desert Rose’ requested to leave Moscow, where the Assad family fled as rebels took Damascus
The Kremlin on Monday rejected Turkish media reports that suggested that Asma al-Assad, the British-born wife of former Syrian president Bashar al-Assad, sought a divorce and wanted to leave Russia.
Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov also rejected Turkish media reports that suggested that Assad had been confined to Moscow and had his property assets frozen.
Asked on a conference call if the reports corresponded to reality, Peskov said: “No, they do not correspond to reality.”
Turkish and Arabic media reported on Sunday that Asma al-Assad had filed for divorce in Russia, where the Assad family were granted asylum this month after rebels took control of Damascus following a lightning advance.
Reports said she was unhappy with their diminished lifestyle and wanted to return to the UK, although it is unlikely she would be allowed back.
Asma al-Assad was born in London in 1975 and has spent half her life in the UK, with her parents still living in the west of the capital city.
She later graduated from London’s King’s College University with a degree in computer science and French literature before moving into finance, working at Deutsche Bank and JP Morgan.
It was in this line of work that she met Bashar al-Assad in the late 1990s, and the couple married a few months after he succeeded his father, Hafez, as Syrian president in July 2000.
Feted by the Western media for her looks and style, Asma became the toast of high society, hosting celebrities such as Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie while enjoying a lavish reception overseas. Fashion bible Vogue called her the “Desert Rose.”
But her reputation crumbled when she stood by her husband’s side as he cracked down on anti-government protests that erupted in 2011, turning into a full-scale civil war in June 2012.
She had her UK assets frozen in March 2012 amid growing protests against her husband’s rule, as part of a European sanction program that London maintained after Brexit.
She retains British citizenship, but foreign minister David Lammy said Monday that she was no longer welcome in the country, suggesting she may soon lose her UK passport.
In 2020 the United States imposed sanctions on Asma al-Assad, her parents and two brothers, with then-secretary of state Mike Pompeo describing her as “one of Syria’s most notorious war profiteers.”
Earlier this month, Syrian rebels took control of Damascus after a two-week offensive, ending 13 years of civil war against the Syrian government and over 50 years of Assad family rule.
Bashar al-Assad himself fled Damascus on December 8, and was granted asylum in Russia where his wife and family were already waiting for him in Moscow, according to three former close aides and a senior regional official.
