The British Guardian reported that new details have emerged about the life of the ousted Syrian ruler Bashar al-Assad following the collapse of his regime. According to the report, Assad has recently been attending classes related to ophthalmology.
Before being summoned back to Syria from Britain in the 1990s to prepare for succession after his father, Hafez al-Assad, Bashar al-Assad had trained as an ophthalmologist in London.
A source close to the Assad family said the former Syrian president is currently studying Russian and relearning the field of ophthalmology. "It's his passion," the source said. "Obviously, he doesn't need the money. Even before the war began, he practiced in Damascus." The sources estimated that members of Moscow's "elite" could become his clients in the future.
A year after the collapse of his rule in Syria, following a long civil war in which he massacred his own people, Assad and his family are living lives of luxury in Moscow and the United Arab Emirates.
Two sources estimated that the Assad family is residing in Rublyovka, one of Moscow's most exclusive neighborhoods.
"These are quiet lives," a family friend told The Guardian. "He barely has any contact with the outside world." According to the source, Assad is in touch only with a small number of figures from the former regime, including Mansour Azzam, a former minister, and businessman Yasser Ibrahim.
A source close to the Kremlin said Assad has largely become irrelevant to Putin and to Russia's elite.
"Putin has little patience for leaders who lose their grip on power, and Assad is no longer seen as an influential figure or even as an interesting guest to invite to dinner," the source said.
