Tight security in a skyscraper and a sick wife… This is how Assad lives in Moscow

Since December 8, the day the Syrian regime in Damascus was declared to have fallen, former President Bashar al Assad hasn’t appeared for a single day, and all that is known about him is that he is enjoying humanitarian asylum on the territory of his ally, Moscow.

However, a new Israeli report stated that Assad lives in a spacious apartment atop a skyscraper in the Russian capital.

A Moscow-based journalist who follows Assad’s new life in the Russian capital, on condition of anonymity, said that Assad is lucky, as he managed to escape certain death by virtue of a decision by Russian President Vladimir Putin, who granted him humanitarian asylum.

He continued that Assad left the center of his regime’s collapse in Damascus for Moscow, bringing with him everything he needed for a comfortable and carefree life, saying, “He came with money, and more money, and a lot of money”.

The journalist also believes that Assad learned the lesson of former Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi, and not only in terms of his preference to flee rather than remain in a crumbling country.

The late leader realized the wisdom of acquiring property and real estate in future places of refuge, but he failed to flee to them in time.

As for Assad, the journalist saw that he excelled in both aspects.

He stressed that the well-known Russian media don’t cover the activities of the Assad family in Moscow, as the media confirmed that this is a forbidden topic to cover.

They stressed that no journalist would dare violate the ban and publicly report where the family members live, what they do, and what their daily routine looks like.

They also explained that the Russian authorities have nothing to gain from such a revelation, and have a lot to lose, because boasting about Assad might upset the new Syrian authorities, and then the Kremlin could forget about the dream of maintaining Russian military bases in Syria.

Despite this, the lack of publicity didn’t prevent Moscow’s elite social circles from spreading rumors about the Assad family in their new residence.

Telegram channels, a fairly effective tool in the Russian media landscape, also occasionally provide different types of information.

Perhaps the Moscow-based journalist is collecting this information, drawing a reliable picture of the life of the deposed Syrian ruler.

The report pointed out that the wealth that Assad transferred to Russia a long time ago constitutes the most important element in this presence.

Representatives of a high-ranking Syrian figure came to us interested in buying luxury apartments.

They were very fond of the project and without thinking bought several apartments in the names of Bashar al Assad’s relatives or under their control, and paid the price without bargaining, recalled the man who had worked in real estate in Moscow for a long time.

He also said that the Assad family had bought at least 19 different apartments across Moscow over the years.

A typical apartment in the complex cost about $2 million at the time, but Assad’s representatives preferred the higher-priced standard units.

The Russian journalist believes that one of these reasons is to participate in the rich social life in Moscow, but he confirmed that Assad has completely avoided it so far.

“Perhaps the explanation lies in the serious illness of his wife Asma, or perhaps Assad himself is depressed after losing power, or perhaps he is receiving instructions from the Russian security services not to go out unnecessarily because of the risk of assassination… I don’t know the correct explanation, but one thing is indisputable: no one has seen Assad at parties or other glittering events that the Moscow elite are proud of,” he said.

The report suggested that all of the journalists’ explanations were correct.

The reports indicate that Assad’s wife Asma’s leukemia has worsened and that she is now in complete isolation in a prestigious medical facility in Moscow to reduce the risk of infection.

Moreover, it’s questionable whether Assad has adapted to his new status as a wealthy exile who spends his days partying.

Personal security concerns also follow him to the Russian capital, even though half of the Federal Security Service is tasked with protecting Assad, according to Russian security sources.

The Kremlin announced after the fall of the regime in Syria that Syrian President Bashar al Assad and his family were in Moscow after his overthrow.

He confirmed that Assad and his family members arrived in Moscow, and that Russia granted them asylum for humanitarian reasons.