Bushra al-Assad

In this Arabic name, the surname is al-Assad.
Bushra al-Assad
بُشْرَى ٱلْأَسَدِ
Bushra c. 1993
Born (1960-10-24) 24 October 1960 (age 64)
Syria
Alma materUniversity of Damascus
Spouse
​
​
(m. 1995; died 2012)​
Children5
Parents
FamilyAl-Assad family

Bushra al-Assad (Arabic: بُشْرَى ٱلْأَسَدِ, romanized: Bušrā al-ʾAsad) (born 24 October 1960)[1] is the first child and only daughter of Hafez al-Assad, who was the president of Syria from 1971 to 2000. She is the sister of current Syrian President Bashar al-Assad. She is the widow of Assef Shawkat, the deputy chief of staff of the Syrian Armed Forces and former head of the Syrian Military Intelligence, who was killed in the 18 July 2012 explosion in Damascus claimed by a coalition of Syrian opposition rebel groups.[2]

As a result of the Syrian Civil War, in March 2012 she was placed on a list of Syrian government figures who were subject to European Union economic sanctions and travel bans.[3] On 28 September 2012, it was reported that Bushra al-Assad had fled from Syria with her five children to seek refuge in the United Arab Emirates.[4] In January 2013, Bushra al-Assad was joined by her mother Anisa Makhlouf in Dubai.[5]

  1. ^ "Council Implementing Decision". Official Journal. 24 March 2012. Retrieved 14 January 2013.
  2. ^ "Bashar al-Assad's widowed sister has left Syria for UAE: source". Reuters. 27 September 2017. Retrieved 1 March 2020.
  3. ^ "Council Implementing Decision 2012/172/CFSP of 23 March 2012 implementing Decision 2011/782/CFSP concerning restrictive measures against Syria".
  4. ^ "Bashar al-Assad's widowed sister has left Syria for UAE: source". chicagotribune.com. 27 September 2012.
  5. ^ "Assad's mother leaves Syria". The Sydney Morning Herald. 21 January 2013. Retrieved 21 January 2013.