EX-SYRIAN President Bashar al-Assad has been rushed to hospital after an alleged assassination attempt.
The toppled Syrian tyrant, 60, was granted political asylum in Russia after he was ousted ten months ago.
AlamySyria’s President Bashar al-Assad was ousted from power ten months ago[/caption]
APAssad is living under Putin’s protection in Moscow[/caption]
The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights claimed Assad was released from hospital on the outskirts of Moscow on Monday.
It claimed he was “poisoned” to “embarrass the Russian government and accuse it of being complicit” in his death.
The report said Assad’s condition was now “stable”.
His brother Maher Assad was allowed to visit him in hospital amid a major security operation, it was claimed.
The Russian government has not yet commented on the reports.
Unconfirmed reports earlier suggested he was admitted to hospital in a “critical condition” following the alleged poisoning.
New authorities in Syria have demanded Assad’s extradition – which Russia has until now refused.
The tyrant has been living under Putin’s protection in Moscow since December 8 last year.
He personally granted asylum along with members of his families and regime associates.
Assad has not been seen in public since arriving in Russia – and is assumed to be kept under close guard by Russian secret services.
An earlier report said Assad “complained to his security about feeling unwell and having trouble breathing” after he had been in Russia for less than a month.
It’s the second alleged assassination attempt in just ten months.
Late last year, online account General SVR — supposedly run by a former top spy in Russia — claimed Assad was taken ill after being poisoned.
It claims Assad asked for medical help and immediately began to “cough violently and choke”.
The source said: “There is every reason to believe an assassination attempt was made.”
Assad was said to have been treated in his apartment.
Tests were reported to show he had poison in his system.
The former tyrant and his wife Asma fled the collapse of Syria as Assad’s two decades in power were wiped away in a matter of days by rampaging rebels.
Russian despot Putin – a friend of the family – offered them refuge as they desperately escaped in the Middle East.
ReutersBashar al-Assad was granted political asylum in Russia after he was deposed[/caption]
The Assad Dynasty
THE Assad dynasty in Syria began with Hafez al-Assad – who seized power in 1971 through a military coup and established an authoritarian regime.
His rule focused on centralised government control, military strength, suppression of dissent, aligning Syria closely with the Soviet Union, and an anti-Israel stance.
He established a cult of personality and corruption flourished as loyalty to Hafez became the most important value.
Bashar was not the first choice to succeed his father, with his elder son Bassel groomed to take over the role.
Bashar was working as an ophthalmologist at Western Eye Hospital in London when Bassel died in a car crash in 1994.
Suddenly, Bashar became the heir apparent and was called back to Damascus to be groomed for leadership.
He spent six and a half years learning the ropes from his father and working in the military.
Hafez died from a heart attack in 2000 and, with the loyalty of his party, transferred power to Bashar establishing the first Arab dynastic republic.
Initially, there were hopes for liberal reforms under Bashar, but hopes faded as he instead continued his father’s repressive policies.
When protesters rose up in 2011, Assad brutally sought to crush them with harsh violence.
But, he lost the support of many of his people and brought about the Syrian Civil War.
In 2013, the cruel dictator even used chemical weapons on rebel areas as he did anything to stay in power.
The civil war dragged on killing hundreds of thousands, destroying cities, and opening the way for ISIS to flourish.
Eventually, Assad gained the upper hand after Iran sent in Hezbollah crack forces and Russia sent in jets to bomb rebels and mercenary group Wagner to fight them.
It appeared that Assad was on the brink of winning the war last year with the rebels confined to an area in the northwest of the country.
Assad chose not to negotiate with the rebels and instead sought to defeat them completely.
But the rebels launched a surprise offensive on November 27 and swept aside Assad’s corrupt and disloyal army.
After seizing Damascus in a swift and decisive offensive, rebel forces declared victory and announced that the city was “free of Assad.”
The dictator fled Syria in total humiliation – having to issue a statement through the Russians he had resigned the presidency and left the country.
Bashar has been given refuge in Moscow and is currently under Russian protection.
The collapse of the 54-year-old Assad dynasty ignited celebrations across Syria.
In the capital, thousands poured into the streets, waving rebel flags and lighting flares.
Statues of Assad and his late father, Hafez, were toppled in symbolic acts of defiance.