Bashar al-Assad, the former Syrian leader who was ousted in a military coup in December 2024, was admitted to a hospital near Moscow in critical condition on 20 September.
The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR) stated that the former head of state, who has been living in exile in Russia since the fall of his regime, was not suffering from food poisoning but was instead the target of a poisoning attempt, according to a Russian source cited by the organisation. After nine days in hospital, his condition is reported to have stabilised.
“Only his brother Maher al-Assad was allowed to visit him during his hospitalisation, along with former presidential affairs secretary Mansour Azzam,” the organisation revealed.
The alleged poisoning took place in his Moscow villa, which is under heavy security.
According to the SOHR report, the attempt is believed to have been orchestrated by a former Syrian officer seeking to “embarrass” the Russian government.
Al-Assad, who ruled Syria with an iron fist for more than 24 years, was overthrown by rebels from the Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) group led by Ahmed al-Sharaa, who now runs the country.
