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Doha – Former Syrian President Bashar al-Assad was reportedly the target of a poisoning attempt in Moscow, where he has been living under Russian protection since his regime’s sudden collapse last month.
According to The Sun, Assad, 59, “began to cough violently and choke” after complaining of breathing difficulties on Sunday. The ousted leader received immediate medical attention in his apartment after his condition rapidly deteriorated, with symptoms including headaches and stomach pains.
The Telegram channel General SVR, which claims to be run by a former Russian intelligence official, reported that tests revealed traces of toxic substances in Assad’s system. “There is every reason to believe an assassination attempt was made,” the channel stated, though no sources were cited and Russian authorities have not confirmed the incident.
Read also: Syria’s Civil War Death Toll Surpasses 528,500 After Assad’s Fall
Assad’s condition reportedly stabilized on Monday after receiving treatment in a medical ward set up in his Moscow residence. An investigation is supposedly underway to determine how the alleged poisoning occurred, though details remain scarce.
The reported assassination attempt comes just weeks after Assad fled Damascus on December 8, 2024, when rebel forces led by the Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) group seized control of the Syrian capital in a lightning 11-day offensive that ended his family’s 50-year rule.
Adding to Assad’s troubles, his London-born wife Asma, 49, who is reportedly battling acute myeloid leukemia, has been effectively barred from returning to the UK after her British passport expired. The former first lady is said to be receiving treatment in Moscow, though her exact whereabouts, like her husband’s, remain unknown.
Assad reportedly moved approximately 270 kilograms of gold and $2 billion to Moscow before his fall from power. The former leader and his associates are believed to own multiple properties in the Russian capital, including apartments in the Moscow City skyscraper complex.
