International
oi-Amit Vasudev
Asma
al-Assad,
the
wife
of
deposed
Syrian
President
Bashar
al-Assad,
is
reportedly
battling
leukemia,
an
aggressive
form
of
cancer
affecting
the
bone
marrow
and
blood,
with
a
50-50
chance
of
survival.
The
British-born
former
first
lady
is
currently
in
isolation
to
minimise
the
risk
of
infection
and
is
undergoing
treatment,
according
to
*The
Telegraph*.
The
report
states
that
Asma
had
previously
fought
breast
cancer
in
2019
and
declared
herself
cancer-free
after
a
year
of
treatment.
However,
the
blood
cancer
is
believed
to
have
reappeared
after
a
period
of
remission.
al-Assad
Born
in
London
in
1975
to
Syrian
parents,
Asma
al-Assad
holds
dual
British-Syrian
citizenship.
She
earned
degrees
in
computer
science
and
French
literature
from
King’s
College
London
before
pursuing
a
career
in
investment
banking.
Asma
married
Bashar
al-Assad
in
December
2000,
and
the
couple
has
three
children:
Hafez,
Zein,
and
Karim.
Asma
has
reportedly
sought
to
exile
herself
in
London
with
her
children
since
the
Syrian
uprising
began.
There
have
also
been
reports
suggesting
she
has
filed
for
divorce
from
the
ousted
president,
citing
dissatisfaction
with
her
life
in
Moscow.
However,
the
Kremlin
has
rejected
these
claims,
stating,
“No,
they
do
not
correspond
to
reality.”
She
has
allegedly
applied
to
a
Russian
court
for
special
permission
to
leave
the
country,
and
her
application
is
currently
under
review
by
Russian
authorities.
Bashar
al-Assad
and
his
family
fled
Syria
on
December
8
following
an
11-day
rebel
offensive
led
by
Hayat
Tahrir
al-Sham
(HTS),
after
years
of
civil
war
triggered
by
his
violent
crackdown
on
anti-government
protests
in
2011.
The
conflict
has
claimed
the
lives
of
over
500,000
people
and
displaced
more
than
half
of
the
country’s
population.
Assad,
now
living
under
asylum
in
Moscow,
is
reportedly
facing
severe
restrictions
imposed
by
Russian
authorities.
While
his
asylum
request
has
been
accepted,
he
is
prohibited
from
leaving
Moscow
or
engaging
in
political
activities.
Russian
authorities
are
also
said
to
have
frozen
his
assets,
although
the
Kremlin
has
denied
this
claim.
