Syrian President Bashar al-Assad’s wife, Asma al-Assad, has been diagnosed with acute myeloid leukaemia, according to a statement from the president’s office on Tuesday.
Asma, who previously recovered from breast cancer in 2019, will undergo a specialised treatment protocol that necessitates social distancing to avoid infection.
Consequently, she will temporarily step back from all direct engagements as part of her treatment plan.
Asma al-Assad, born in Britain in 1975, was a former investment banker who had styled herself as a progressive advocate and a modernising force within the Assad regime before Syria’s civil war erupted in 2011.
In 2019, she declared herself “totally” free of breast cancer after a year-long battle with the disease.
Throughout the civil war, Asma has been a prominent figure alongside her husband, often accompanying him on official visits and attending state functions, with their appearances regularly featured in official media.
Despite being praised in the past, notably in a controversial Vogue article titled “A Rose in the Desert,” her public image has faced significant backlash due to her unwavering support for her husband’s regime and its violent suppression of pro-democracy protests.
Asma al-Assad also founded the Syria Trust for Development charity, based in Damascus, which remains one of the few organisations permitted to operate in government-controlled areas.
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