Bashar al-Assad's wife files for divorce

Syrian deposed and former president Bashar al-Assad’s faced escalating challenges as his wife, Asma, approached the court for divorce.

According to details, Asma al-Assad has initiated divorce proceedings in the Russian Court.

Meanwhile, she also requested a permission to leave Moscow and relocate to the United Kingdom. It is noteworthy that she previously worked as an investment banker in London.

This action follows shortly after the Assad family departed from Damascus in the wake of rebel forces seizing control of the Syrian capital.

Read more: Assad gives account of last hours before leaving Syria

On December 17, Bashar al-Assad released his first statement following his removal from power, indicating that he had been evacuated to Russia from the Hmeimim airbase.

The statement, which was published on the Syrian presidency’s Telegram channel, was dated December 16 and originated from Moscow, where he has been granted asylum.

Assad was ousted after forces, primarily led by the Islamist group Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, which culminated in the end of over 50 years of authoritarian rule by his family.

In his statement, Bashar al-Assad asserted, “At no point during these events did I consider stepping down or seeking refuge, nor was such a proposal made by any individual party,” as he elaborated on the events that led to his exit from Syria.

He noted that he had remained in the capital, Damascus, fulfilling his responsibilities until the early hours of Sunday, December 8.

“As terrorist forces infiltrated Damascus, I coordinated with our Russian allies to relocate to Latakia and oversee combat operations,” he explained.

However, upon his arrival at the Russian airbase in Hmeimim that morning, he realized that “our forces had completely withdrawn from all battle lines and that the last army positions had fallen.”