Exiled Syrian leader Bashar al-Assad was recently hospitalized in Russia after being poisoned while living in hiding near Moscow, according to a human rights organization. Al-Assad, a longtime ally of Russian President Vladimir Putin, was rushed to an emergency room on September 20 in critical condition. He remained under medical care for nine days before being released, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights reported on Thursday.
Bashar al-Assad Poisoning
The poisoning reportedly took place at a villa outside Moscow, where al-Assad has been living under strict security. The property is said to be heavily guarded by Russian authorities, and while his movements are tightly controlled, he has received numerous visitors at the residence.
“Only the party that carried out the operation knows whether it was to kill Bashar al-Assad or to embarrass the Russian government,” the watchdog’s report stated.
Bashar al-Assad was poisoned in Moscow.
According to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, a “well-informed source” claims Assad was subjected to an attempted poisoning aimed at embarrassing the Russian government and blaming it for the attack.
He was reportedly treated at a… pic.twitter.com/qDrRiCvtGQ
— BrightMind (@Brightmind24_7) October 4, 2025
Is Russian Government Involved in Bashar al-Assad Poisoning?
Sources cited by the organization claimed that the Russian government had no involvement in the incident. The report suggested that the poisoning “may have been intended to implicate the Russian government” and to portray President Putin as “incapable of protecting him.”
Russian officials have not commented publicly on the matter.
Fall of Assad’s Regime in Syria
Bashar al-Assad was ousted from power last December after Islamist rebel group Hayat Tahrir al-Sham toppled his regime. During the offensive, Assad reassured his forces that support from the Kremlin was on its way.
However, within 24 hours of the rebel assault, he fled Damascus with his wife and three children, boarding a plane to Moscow.
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Zubair Amin is a Senior Journalist at NewsX with over seven years of experience in reporting and editorial work. He has written for leading national and international publications, including Foreign Policy Magazine, Al Jazeera, The Economic Times, The Indian Express, The Wire, Article 14, Mongabay, News9, among others. His primary focus is on international affairs, with a strong interest in US politics and policy. He also writes on West Asia, Indian polity, and constitutional issues. Zubair tweets at zubaiyr.amin
