Asma al-Assad, wife of ousted Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, is reportedly in critical condition after being diagnosed with leukemia, with media claiming she has a 50/50 chance of survival. The British-born former first lady, who previously suffered from breast cancer, is said to be undergoing treatment for a severe form of leukemia. According to The Telegraph, she has been isolated to reduce the risk of infection, and cannot be in the same room with others.
The Assad family fled Syria earlier this month as a rebel offensive on the capital, Damascus, progressed rapidly. While Bashar al-Assad remained in the country, Asma al-Assad and their children were reportedly the first to leave the country, moving to Moscow. There, she is cared for by her father, Fawaz Al-Akhras, a respected cardiologist based on London’s prestigious Harley Street. Sources indicate that Al-Akhras is suffering from his daughter’s illness.
Asma al-Assad was diagnosed with leukemia last May, according to the Syrian presidency. This comes after her previous battle with breast cancer, in which she announced her recovery from cancer in 2019 after a year of treatment. It is thought that her leukemia may have come back after a period of remission.
The Telegraph also reported that Asma al-Assad was fed up with the restrictions imposed on her in Russia, and expressed her desire to divorce her husband and seek further treatment in London. But the Kremlin denied these reports, and the Assad family refrained from making any public comments on the matter.
In the United Kingdom, Foreign Secretary David Lammy made it clear that Asma al-Assad, who holds dual British and Syrian citizenship, is not welcome to return to the United Kingdom. Lammy said in the House of Commons: “I have seen Asma al-Assad mentioned in the last few days, and it is possible that she holds British citizenship, and I want to stress that she is a sanctioned individual and is not welcome here in the United Kingdom.” The fall of the Assad regime.
Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer has indicated that it is “too early” to determine whether Asma al-Assad may lose her British citizenship, given her dual citizenship. Meanwhile, senior British officials recently traveled to Damascus to communicate with representatives of the new Syrian regime, now led by the Islamist group Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham. The British Foreign Office has not yet commented on the situation.
