In a strong and unequivocal statement, Dr. Fawaz Akhras, the father of Asma al-Assad, the wife of deposed Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, has publicly rejected recent reports from Turkish media suggesting that his daughter is seeking a divorce. Dr. Akhras, a London-based cardiologist, told The Daily Beast via email, “I am able to confirm that the reports are false,” directly refuting the claims made by several Turkish news outlets, including Habertürk and CNN Türk.
These reports, which have spread rapidly in the media, suggested that Asma al-Assad was planning to leave Russia—where she and her husband sought asylum after being ousted from Syria—and was contemplating a move to London, allegedly to seek treatment for leukemia. The rumors also pointed to a supposed divorce from Bashar al-Assad, painting a picture of growing distress within the Assad family. However, Dr. Akhras firmly denied these claims, emphasizing that his daughter’s health is being “adequately monitored” and that she is receiving “the best treatment possible.”
The rumors escalated following a report on December 19 by Habertürk, which referenced an uncredited source claiming that Asma al-Assad’s leukemia could not be properly treated in Moscow. This report added fuel to the fire, suggesting that she was contemplating a move to the UK for medical care. However, both Dr. Akhras and Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov have denied the allegations, with Peskov also rejecting reports that the Assads’ movements in Russia are restricted or that their assets have been frozen.
This denial from Asma al-Assad’s immediate family comes after a turbulent period for the Assads. Following the fall of Bashar al-Assad’s regime in Syria, which marked the end of over half a century of Assad family rule, Asma and her husband fled to Moscow, where they have since been under the protection of Russian President Vladimir Putin, a longstanding ally. The downfall of Assad’s regime, which left a trail of death and devastation, was widely hailed by world leaders as an act of justice. U.S. President Joe Biden described it as a “fundamental act of justice,” and British Prime Minister Keir Starmer welcomed the end of the “barbaric regime” that had killed thousands of civilians, including through the use of chemical weapons.
Asma al-Assad, who was born and raised in the UK to Syrian parents, moved to Syria at 25 to marry Bashar shortly after he succeeded his father as president. Once hailed as a glamorous and “freshest” first lady in a widely criticized 2011 Vogue profile, Asma’s image has since been tarnished by the Assad regime’s violent crackdown on opposition forces, resulting in widespread civilian casualties during the ongoing Syrian Civil War.
Along with her husband, Asma is under sanctions from multiple countries, including the UK, which has made it clear that she is not welcome within its borders. Britain’s Foreign Secretary, David Lammy, reaffirmed earlier this month that Asma al-Assad remains a sanctioned individual and is barred from entering the UK.
