Reports have surfaced of an alleged assassination attempt targeting former Syrian president Bashar Assad in Moscow.
The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights claimed that Assad was hospitalized following a poisoning incident, citing a private source with knowledge of the situation, according to the Daily Mail. The respected rights organization reported that Assad was released from a hospital on the outskirts of Moscow on Monday after treatment for the alleged poisoning.
The source indicated that Assad had been poisoned as part of an assassination operation. The motive behind the alleged attack was reportedly to embarrass the Russian government and accuse it of complicity in Assad's potential death.
Assad's medical condition has reportedly stabilized following the alleged poisoning incident. The former Syrian leader received treatment at a hospital facility located on the outskirts of the Russian capital.
Only Assad's brother Maher was permitted to visit him during his hospitalization amid heightened security protocols. Russian authorities implemented a major security operation surrounding the medical facility during Assad's treatment period.
Earlier unconfirmed reports suggested Assad had been admitted to the hospital in critical condition due to the poisoning. The Russian government has not issued any official statements regarding these allegations or Assad's reported hospitalization.
Assad received political asylum from Russian President Vladimir Putin after being deposed from power ten months ago. The former dictator and his family members relocated to Moscow following the collapse of his government in Syria.
Putin personally granted asylum to Assad along with his family and regime associates. Assad has remained largely out of public view since arriving in Russia and is believed to be under the protection of Russian security services.
The new Syrian authorities have demanded Assad's extradition from Russia, which Moscow has consistently refused. Assad's presence in Russia represents a diplomatic challenge as Syrian leadership seeks accountability for his previous actions.
The U.S. State Department estimates that Assad's family possesses wealth totaling approximately $2 billion through various financial instruments. Their assets are reportedly concealed across numerous accounts, shell companies, offshore tax havens and real estate portfolios.
Assad, his British-born wife Asma, and their three adult children left their Syrian palaces to begin new lives in Moscow. The family had established extensive financial connections and assets in Russia prior to their exile.
The Assad dynasty reportedly purchased at least 20 Moscow apartments valued at more than £30 million in recent years. These real estate investments demonstrate Russia's role as a financial safe haven for the Assad family's wealth accumulation.
Assad's departure from Syria concluded a 13-year civil war and ended six decades of Assad family autocratic rule. Rebel groups achieved an unopposed takeover of Damascus following a rapid offensive against government forces.
The collapse of Assad's regime proved deeply embarrassing for Putin's administration after years of military and financial support. Russia had conducted extensive bombing campaigns and provided substantial aid to prop up Assad's government throughout the conflict.
Secret tunnels beneath an Assad family mansion were discovered after rebels seized the capital, potentially serving as escape routes for the dictator and his allies. Flight tracking data suggested Assad may have fled via Russia's Khmeimim airbase, with a Russian plane departing near Latakia hours before his reported arrival in Moscow.