Putin sees him as a marginal figure… Bashar al-Assad returns to studying ophthalmology

The British newspaper The Guardian and Russian media, based on close friends of the Assad family and sources in Russia and Syria, in addition to leaked data, revealed new details about the life of former Syrian President Bashar al-Assad and his family after the fall of his regime and his flight from Damascus in December 2024.

According to the sources, Al-Assad lives in a luxurious but very isolated exile in Moscow, where he is prohibited from any political or media activity, and is subject to restrictions imposed by the Russian authorities, who do not view him today as a figure of political weight.

The Guardian quoted a source close to the Kremlin as saying that Russian President Vladimir Putin “cannot tolerate leaders who lose control of power,” considering that Assad has become a marginal figure within Russian circles.

The report published by the British newspaper on Monday, December 15, 2025, stated that Al-Assad has returned to practicing his old passion, as he is taking lessons in ophthalmology, the profession he studied in Britain before assuming power, and learning the Russian language, at a time when he is not suffering from any financial hardship after the family transferred a large portion of its wealth to Russia since the imposition of Western sanctions on it in 2011.

The sources explained that the Assad family is now living a quiet and isolated life away from the spotlight, and it is believed that they reside in the upscale Rublyovka area, which is a closed residential complex that includes the Moscow elite, and is inhabited by prominent officials and businessmen, including former Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovych.

The Guardian also revealed that Asma al-Assad, Bashar’s wife, who was suffering from leukemia, received experimental treatment in Moscow under the supervision of the Russian security services, and that her health condition stabilized after a critical period that followed the fall of the regime.