More than a year after fleeing Syria, former Syrian President Bashar al-Assad is refocusing on his original field of practice - ophthalmology.
According to a report in The Guardian, Assad is currently residing in Moscow, studying Russian while taking private lessons in ophthalmology.
Assad, who secretly left Damascus on the night of December 8, 2024 with his family, currently lives in the elite Rublyovka neighborhood of Moscow, alongside figures such as former Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovych.
According to a family friend, Assad "has returned to doing what he always loved," noting that even during his reign he used to occasionally treat private clients in Damascus. Now, he apparently intends to offer his services to the rich in Moscow.
Despite their comfortable lifestyle, Assad and his family live in almost complete isolation from the Syrian and Russian elites. Sources in Syria and Russia said he has no access to senior figures in the former regime, and has been banned from political activity or appearing in the media.
The family is focused on their personal rehabilitation: his wife, Asma, who has been battling cancer, is recovering, and their daughter, Zain, has completed a degree in international relations at Moscow’s MGIMO University. Son Hafez, once considered a potential heir, now keeps a particularly low profile in the media.