The wife of Syrian war criminal Bashar Assad - Asma, is seriously ill and has been isolated, The Telegraph reported.
Doctors have given her a 50% chance of survival, the newspaper reported. London-born Asma, the wife of the ousted dictator Assad, is being kept away from others to prevent infection. Her father Fawaz is caring for his daughter in Moscow and is "heartbroken", according to sources in direct contact with the family.
Assad and his wife have sought refuge in Moscow after his brutal regime fell after 13 years of devastating civil war. In May this year, Syria’s presidency announced that the then-first lady had been diagnosed with myeloid leukemia, an aggressive cancer of the bone marrow and blood.
She had also previously been treated for breast cancer and in August 2019 declared herself “completely” free of the disease after a year of treatment. The leukemia is believed to have recurred after a period of remission.
“Asma is dying,” said a source who has spoken directly to a family representative in recent weeks. “She cannot be in the same room with anyone [because of her condition].”
Asma al-Assad, 49, is believed to have flown to Moscow for treatment before the Kremlin persuaded her husband to flee the rebel offensive. Her father, a respected cardiologist, has been caring for her for much of the past six months, first in the United Arab Emirates and later in Moscow.
The news of Asma's deteriorating health comes after reports that she was tired of the restrictions imposed on her in Moscow and was seeking treatment in London and seeking a divorce. The Assad family has not commented on the reports, although the Kremlin later denied that she wanted to separate from her husband.
Despite extensive Russian military and economic support for Assad since 2015 to allow him to remain in power, personal relations between Putin and Assad have reportedly cooled in recent months. Assad and Putin are responsible for committing horrific war crimes in Syria in recent years. Assad's defeat also means Moscow risks losing the port of Tartus and several military bases in Syria that have become cornerstones of Russian operations in the Mediterranean and Africa.
Asma Assad was sanctioned for her role in supporting her husband. Assad and his wife have three children.