The office of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad announced on Tuesday, May 21, 2024 that First Lady Asma al-Assad has been diagnosed with acute myeloid leukemia.
The statement revealed that she will undergo a specialized treatment protocol that necessitates social distancing to prevent infection, leading to her temporary withdrawal from all direct engagements.
Asma al-Assad, who was born in Britain in 1975 and recovered from breast cancer in 2019, is now facing a new health challenge. “First Lady Asma al-Assad has been diagnosed with acute myeloid leukemia,” the statement read, adding that her treatment plan requires significant precautionary measures.
Asma, a former investment banker, styled herself as a progressive rights advocate before the Syrian civil war erupted in 2011. She frequently accompanies her husband on official visits abroad and participates in various state-sponsored functions. She founded the Syria Trust for Development charity, which operates in government-held areas of Syria.
Despite her public persona, Asma has faced criticism and accusations of consolidating power over Syria’s economy. The Syria Report, an economic publication, noted that “the humanitarian sector in Syria has become increasingly profitable, especially for sanctioned individuals like Asma.” In June 2020, the United States imposed sanctions on her and several members of the president’s family and entourage. Then-Secretary of State Mike Pompeo accused Asma of becoming “one of Syria’s most notorious war profiteers” with the support of her husband and her family.
News of her leukemia diagnosis comes as three top security officers of the Assad government are being tried in absentia by a Paris court for complicity in crimes against humanity and war crimes. The trial is the first in France of Assad government officials and focuses on their alleged role in the deaths of two French-Syrian men, Mazzen Dabbagh and his son Patrick, who were arrested in Damascus in 2013.
The Syrian civil war, which began in 2011 following a crackdown on protests against Assad’s rule, has resulted in the deaths of more than half a million people and displaced millions more.
