After the expiration of her British passport, London-born Asma Al-Assad is unable to travel to the UK for cancer treatment, a Sunday report by The Sunday Times revealed.
Assad, 49, who also holds Syrian nationality, moved to Syria in 2000 and married former Syrian dictator Bashar Al-Assad in the same year at the age of 25.
In May 2024, the Syrian presidency announced that she had been diagnosed with leukaemia.
Asma has previously battled cancer, having recovered from breast cancer in August 2019.
The British newspaper reported that “it is unclear if ministers have proactively blocked attempts by Asma to renew her British passport when it ran out in September 2020, or whether she had allowed it to lapse.”
Due to the expiration of the British passport, the UK government reportedly can avoid considering whether to strip Assad of her citizenship.
Asma Al-Assad’s life-changing few months
Assad is reportedly critically ill with leukaemia, and the Telegraph previously reported that she was given a “50/50” chance of survival.
According to the report, Assad has been kept isolated and away from others in order to prevent infections or contracting other illnesses.
Sources in contact with the Assad family told the Telegraph that Asma’s father, Fawaz Akhras, has been caring for his daughter in Moscow and is “heartbroken” by her condition.
After being ousted from Syria by HTS rebels, forcing her and her husband to flee to Russia, she reportedly filed for divorce from her husband, according to Turkish and Arab media reports. The decision to file came after reported dissatisfaction with her life in Moscow.
JERUSALEM POST STAFF contributed to this report
This article was originally published at www.jpost.com
