Rumors of a British-born Mrs. Assad's divorce..."It's not true."

Former Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, who was ousted from power and exiled to Russia, is rumored to be divorced.

Turkiye and Arab media reported that former President al-Assad's British-born wife, Asma al-Assad, had filed for divorce in Russia and expressed her desire to return to London, England, for cancer treatment.

He also said he had applied to a Russian court for permission to leave the country and was awaiting approval, adding that Assad had been granted permission to seek asylum in Russia but was subject to strict restrictions on movement and action.

However, the Kremlin in Russia dismissed rumors of Assad's divorce as untrue.

Asma was born in London in 1975 to Syrian parents, has dual Syrian and British citizenship, and first met Assad, who came to London to study in the early 1990s, before moving to Syria in 2000 to marry her.

Earlier this month, British Foreign Secretary David Lammy said Asma was no longer welcome in the UK and hinted at the possibility of her being deprived of her British passport.

If Asma arrives in the UK, she could be arrested by investigative agencies, the British daily Telegraph said.

The Metropolitan Police Department has opened a preliminary investigation into Asma for allegedly facilitating or supporting war crimes committed by the Assad regime in Syria's civil war in 2021.