Bashar Assad's wife Asma allegedly spied for London

The wife of former Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, Asma Assad, may have cooperated with British intelligence, Syrian opposition journalist Nizar Nayouf finds, Sky News Arabia reports.

Photo: commons.wikimedia.org by Prime Minister's Office is licensed under GODL-India

Bashar and Asma al-Assad

Asma Asad was born in London. She graduated from King's College, University of London and took a job at JPMorgan Bank. According to Syrian intelligence services, British intelligence officer Eliza Bowler, who secured her the position, assisted her at work. The Syrian authorities may have been aware of Asma al-Assad's occupation. It was for this reason that then head of state Hafez al-Assad was against his son's marriage to her.

According to intelligence reports, during Bashar's meetings with Asma and her mother at luxury hotels in London, a large number of British intelligence officers were on duty outside. They were also present at one of the soirees hosted by Asma's father. Bashar al-Assad also attended the event. During the meeting they discussed internal Syrian affairs and Syrian-Israeli relations.

It is not yet possible to confirm the authenticity of the documents that the journalist referred to.

Asma Asad's mother worked in a high position at the Syrian Embassy in London. Bashar Assad himself moved to London in the early 1990s to study for an ophthalmologist. It was around that time that their relationship with Asma began. In July 2000, Hafez Assad passed away, and Bashar Assad took over. The couple married soon afterwards.

Asma had been working in a bank for two years by that time. She received an invitation to transfer to Harvard Business School. When declining, she explained that "a dashing Syrian whisked her off to Libya where he sealed the deal in a tent in the Sahara."

The Telegraph earlier wrote that the wife of the former Syrian president was suffering from a relapse of acute myeloid leukemia (a type of blood cancer). Doctors estimate her chances of recovery at about 50/50.

Asma Asad has been receiving treatment since at least May 2024. She arrived in Moscow for treatment weeks before the fall of the Assad regime.

Details

Asma Fawaz al-Assad (née Akhras; born 11 August 1975) is the wife of Bashar al-Assad and former first lady of Syria. Her husband was president from 2000 until he was overthrown on 8 December 2024. Born to Syrian parents in London, she was also raised there and holds dual British and Syrian citizenship. She became First Lady when she married al-Assad, then President of Syria, on 13 December 2000. Asma Fawaz Akhras graduated from King's College London in 1996 with a bachelor's degree in computer science and French literature. She had a career in investment banking and was planning to begin an MBA at Harvard University when she married Bashar al-Assad in December 2000. She resigned from her job in investment banking following the wedding and remained in Syria, where their three children were born. As First Lady, she played a major role in supporting government organisations involved with social and economic development as part of a reform initiative halted due to the outbreak of the Syrian civil war.