Ousted Syrian president Bashar Assad poisoned in Moscow — report

Ousted Syrian president Bashar Assad poisoned in Moscow — report
Bashar Assad during an interview with Russian television channel NTV, Damascus, Syria, June 24, 2018. (Reuters/File Photo)
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Updated 02 January 2025

Ousted Syrian president Bashar Assad poisoned in Moscow — report

Ousted Syrian president Bashar Assad poisoned in Moscow — report
  • Assad reportedly fell ill on Sunday in Moscow, where he has resided since fleeing Syria in early December
  • Account believed to be run by former Russian spy says Assad’s condition said to be stabilized by Monday

LONDON: An assassination attempt by poisoning has been made on former Syrian dictator Bashar Assad, The Sun reported.

The ousted leader reportedly fell ill on Sunday in Moscow, where he has resided since fleeing Syria in early December.

Assad, 59, requested medical help then began to “cough violently and choke,” according to online account General SVR, which is believed to be run by a former top spy in Russia.

“There is every reason to believe an assassination attempt was made,” it added.

Assad was treated in his apartment, and his condition is said to have stabilized by Monday. He was confirmed to have been poisoned by medical testing, the account said, without citing direct sources.

There has been no confirmation of the event from the Russian government.


Trump to meet Syrian president at White House on Nov. 10

Trump to meet Syrian president at White House on Nov. 10
Updated 52 min 4 sec ago

Trump to meet Syrian president at White House on Nov. 10

Trump to meet Syrian president at White House on Nov. 10
  • Press secretary Karoline Leavitt says there has been 'good progress' in Syria since Trump lifted sanctions

WASHINGTON: US President Donald Trump plans to meet with Syrian President Ahmad Al-Sharaa at the White House on Monday, press secretary Karoline Leavitt said on Tuesday at a press briefing.
Since seizing power from Bashar Assad last December, Al-Sharaa has made a series of foreign trips as his transitional government seeks to re-establish Syria’s ties with world powers that had shunned Damascus during Assad’s rule.
Trump has sought good relations with Al-Sharaa. In June he revoked most US sanctions against Syria, and Trump met with the Syrian leader when he visited last May.
“When the president was in the Middle East, he made the historic decision to lift sanctions on Syria to give them a real chance at peace and I think the administration, we’ve seen good progress on that front under their new leadership,” she said.