The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights has claimed that former Syrian President Bashar al-Assad was recently the target of a poisoning attempt while living in Russia.

The group said Assad was hospitalized on the outskirts of Moscow and discharged on Monday, with his health now described as stable.

According to the Observatory, the suspected perpetrators sought to pressure the Russian government and implicate it in an alleged attempt to eliminate the former Syrian leader.

During Assad's treatment, only two visitors were permitted; his brother, Maher al-Assad, and Mansour Azzam, Syria's former presidential affairs minister.

Russian authorities have not commented on the report, which has not been independently verified by international media.

Assad fled to Russia after being ousted from power in Syria, following years of civil war and international isolation that weakened his regime.

The alleged poisoning could heighten questions over Assad's security in exile and expose the ongoing rivalries surrounding Syria's fractured political landscape. For now, the claims underscore the uncertainty surrounding Assad's future and Moscow's role in protecting its longtime ally.

MENAFN04102025000228011069ID1110149866