Former Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, who fled Damascus amid the country’s conflict, has again been the subject of unverified reports about his health.
The UK-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR) said it had received information claiming Assad was poisoned in Russia and taken to hospital in critical condition, urging Moscow to issue a formal statement.
Similar rumors surfaced eight months ago, including a report in Britain’s Sun newspaper citing a self-described former Russian spy, but were later debunked by fact-checking platform Ta’keed, which found no confirmation from Russian state media or agencies such as TASS.
The renewed speculation comes as international legal efforts intensify against Assad and his brother Maher over war crimes, raising questions about whether such reports are part of a wider attempt to undermine Assad’s position or perhaps to sideline him entirely.