Former Syrian President Bashar al-Assad 'poisoned' in 'assassination attempt'
The ousted dictator was allegedly poisoned "to embarrass the Russian government and accuse it of being complicit" in his death.
Former Syrian President Bashar al-Assad was hospitalised after being poisoned in a suspected assassination attempt in Moscow, a human rights group has claimed.
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The ousted dictator was granted political asylum in Russia after he was toppled ten months ago.
He was reportedly released from a hospital in the Russian capital Moscow following the alleged attack, according to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights
The group claimed it was told by a private source he "had been poisoned", alleging that the assassination attempt was made "to embarrass the Russian government and accuse it of being complicit" in his death.
The ex-dictator's condition is now said to be stable, the report claimed.
His brother, Maher Assad was reportedly the only person allowed to visit him in hospital for security reasons.
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The Russian government has yet to comment on the report.
Brutal dictator Assad fled to Russia, his backers in the civil war, after being toppled by jihadi rebels.
Assad, 60, has not been seen in public since moving to Russia.
New authorities in Syria have called for his extradition, which the Kremlin has refused.
The deposed president, his wife, and hundreds of relatives, along with political, military, and business cronies, are included in a list of 417 individuals and companies under UK sanctions.
The High Court was told in 2020 that Assad is believed to have a frozen account with HSBC in London with a balance of more than $51.5 million (£40 million).