Image: A cartoon of deposed Syrian dictator Bashar al Assad and Russian President Vladimir Putin
Russian Telegram channel has claimed that Bashar al Assad may have been poisoned, sparking online speculation about the fate of the Syrian dictator after he fled to Moscow following his downfall.
The claim was made by General SVR, which says it is run by former and current members of the Russian Foreign Intelligence Service, although it does not offer any evidence of these ties.
It has been the source of unsubstantiated but dramatic reports about Vladimir Putin‘s health that have been previously reported internationally.
In a post written on its Russian and English language channels on Tuesday, it said “There is every reason to believe that an assassination attempt was made” on Assad, adding that he had complained to his security team “about feeling unwell, having trouble breathing, and asked for medical help.”
British tabloid newspapers, as well as social media users, have picked up the claims, which have not been independently verified. Newsweek has contacted the Kremlin and General SVR for comment by email.
Why it matters
Russia offered refuge to Assad, a long-time ally of Vladimir Putin, after his family’s five decades in power ended following a rebel uprising led by the Islamist militant group Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS).
Moscow was dealt a blow following Assad’s exit and it is fighting to hang onto its military assets in Syria, such as the critical naval base in Tartus. It is unclear whether Assad’s fate in Russia will follow that of other ex-dictators now there, such as former Ukrainian leader Viktor Yanukovych.
What to know
The General SVR Telegram channel posted on New Year’s Eve that two days earlier Assad had asked for medical help, after having trouble breathing and beginning to cough violently and choke.
“There is every reason to believe that an assassination attempt was made on former Syrian President Bashar al-Assad,” the post said, as it described how Russian officials were informed and an order was received to treat him at home.
Tests “showed traces of exposure to a toxic substance in his body” the post said, before his condition stabilized on Monday evening. It added that an investigation is underway “but it has not yet been possible to determine how Bashar al-Assad was exposed to the poison.”
General SVR’s Russian channel has 351,000 subscribers, its English version has around 11,00. It has been a source of several salacious but unsubstantiated stories which have been picked up by a range of tabloids.
In May 2022, it alleged that Putin would temporarily hand over power to have cancer surgery, while in March 2023 it said that the Russian president had deployed a body double for a visit to Crimea and Mariupol.
Did Putin try to get rid of Assad?
— James Landis #Fella 🇺🇸 🇺🇦 🇨🇿 (@JamesLLandis) January 2, 2025
That would make sense. Assad is a liability and doesn't bring anything to the table. He lost Syria and has created countless headaches for Putin.https://t.co/mhjfsmvIiA
Another post from December 2022 claimed that at the end of a stressful day, Putin slipped and fell five steps, landing on his tailbone and allegedly causing him to “defecate involuntarily.” When contacted by Newsweek at the time, Putin’s office replied by email “regarding your request, we can say that this is completely untrue.”
As of Thursday, the post about Assad on General SVR’s Russian language channel had been viewed over 221,000 times. British outlets The Sun and the Daily Express ran the story, as did The Times of India, while social media users also shared the claims.
“Assad has allegedly been poisoned in Moscow,” posted Pekka Kallioniemi on X, founder of Vatnik Soup, which analyzes Russian disinformation. “The Kremlin didn’t waste any time punishing the former dictator for his cowardice.”
Global security expert James Landis wrote on X: “Did Putin try to get rid of Assad? That would make sense. Assad is a liability and doesn’t bring anything to the table. He lost Syria and has created countless headaches for Putin.”
What people are saying
General SVR on Telegram: “There is every reason to believe that an assassination attempt was made on former Syrian President Bashar al-Assad. On Sunday afternoon, Assad complained to his security about feeling unwell, having trouble breathing, and asked for medical help.”
Russian disinformation analyst Pekka Kallioniemi on X: “Assad has allegedly been poisoned in Moscow. The Kremlin didn’t waste any time punishing the former dictator for his cowardice.”
What happens next
Mikhail Ulyanov, Russia’s envoy to international organizations in Vienna, wrote on Telegram that Assad and his family “are in Moscow” and that “Russia never leaves its friends in trouble.”
But Assad’s post on December 16, in which he said he did not consider “stepping down or seeking refuge,” suggested that he wanted his regime loyalists to believe that he did not flee and that he only left Syria at the request of Moscow.
Meanwhile his British-born wife, Asma al-Assad, who was treated for breast cancer in 2019 and has been diagnosed with leukemia, will not be allowed to return to the U.K. for treatment, according to British sources.
Newsweek