Asma Al‑Assad's Moscow struggle: Divorce filing denied by Kremlin
Asma al-Assad, the wife of Syrian dictator Bashar al-Assad, who fled with her family from Syria to Moscow, has reportedly filed for divorce in Russia, Al Jazeera reports. The Kremlin denies these claims.
Asma al-Assad is reportedly dissatisfied with life in Moscow, where she ended up after the dictator escaped from rebels. According to Al Jazeera, she has filed a divorce petition and a request for permission to leave Russia.
Assad's wife holds British and Syrian citizenship. However, sanctions imposed by the EU prevent her from travelling freely.
Assad's wife wants a divorce. The Kremlin doesn't
In 2020, the United States imposed additional sanctions on Asma al-Assad, accusing her of accumulating illegal profits at the expense of the Syrian people. The sanctions also affected her family. Asma al-Assad is struggling with health issues, specifically leukaemia, which she announced in May this year.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov denied reports about the divorce and Asma al-Assad's departure from Russia. He emphasised that reports of Bashar al-Assad's frozen assets are also untrue. Peskov also stated that Bashar al-Assad cannot engage in political activities.
According to Al Jazeera, Bashar al-Assad cannot leave Moscow, and his assets, including 18 luxury apartments, 270 kilograms of gold, and two billion dollars, have been frozen by the Russian authorities. The Kremlin also vehemently denies these reports.
Asma al-Assad, born in London, is not welcome in the United Kingdom, as confirmed by the British Foreign Secretary David Lammy. Sanctions imposed by the EU and the USA limit her ability to travel and operate outside Russia.
Source: TVN24
