Bashar al-Assad's wife seeks divorce, aims to return to UK

Former Syrian President Bashar al-Assad's wife, Asma al-Assad, has reportedly filed for divorce in a Russian court, also requesting permission to return to London due to a pressing medical emergency.

According to reports, Asma filed two petitions in a Russian court in which she sought divorce and the other requesting permission to leave Moscow for treatment of a recently diagnosed case of leukemia.

The couple sought refuge in Moscow after the collapse of Bashar al Assad’s regime.

The report also stated that Asma al-Assad had worked as an investment banker in London before her marriage, and that her mother was a former Syrian diplomat and British citizen, who was exploring legal avenues to facilitate her daughter's return to London.

 The petition indicated that Asma was not receiving adequate medical attention in Moscow, prompting her to seek treatment in her homeland.

This development comes in the wake of the fall of Bashar al-Assad's regime in Syria, where the rebel group Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) seized power and released prisoners, incarcerated years ago. 

A potential divorce would further complicate Assad's situation, as he recently lost power after decades of authoritarian rule, and and could have serious consequences for the family's political prospects.

Bashar al-Assad married Asma in 2000, shortly after becoming Syria's president.