Queen Elizabeth II welcomes Bashar and Asma al-Assad in London, 2002. (AFP)
Asma Assad barred from returning to UK for cancer treatment
Asma al-Assad, the wife of ousted Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, has reportedly been barred from returning to the UK for cancer treatment after her passport expired.
Asma, who is reportedly suffering from leukemia with a 50-50 chance of survival, has been in Moscow with her husband since their regime collapsed.
Reports claimed she wants to divorce Bashar and return to the UK for medical care, but Whitehall sources confirmed she no longer holds valid British travel documents.
The UK government, including Home Secretary Yvette Cooper and Foreign Secretary David Lammy, has made it clear that Asma is not welcome in the country. Lammy had told MPs on Dec. 10, "Asma al-Assad is not welcome here." Cooper also emphasized that the government will not allow her return, stating that the decision "cannot be based solely on health reasons."
Asma, born in London, became Syria's first lady in 2000 and was involved in the regime's harsh suppression during the civil war.
She was sanctioned by the UK and EU in 2012 for her role in supporting the regime. Despite her exile in Moscow, rumors suggest she is dissatisfied with her new life and wishes to return to Britain.
