Bashar al-Assad ’s critically ill wife will not be allowed to return to the UK for cancer treatment after her British passport expired, according to reports. The 49-year-old, born in London to Syrian parents, served as Syria ’s First Lady until her husband was overthrown last month.

Cliche has it that behind every great man stands a woman—and as it happens, the same also applies to murderous dictators. Syria’s fallen tyrant, Bashar al-Assad, fled to friendly Moscow after his regime was toppled by rebels two weeks ago.

Assad, is reportedly battling leukemia, an aggressive cancer of the bone marrow and blood, and has a 50-50 chance of survival.

The wife of the fallen Syrian dictator Bashar al-Assad will not be able to return to Britain, where she was born and raised, for cancer treatment, according to a report. Last week, The Daily Telegraph reported that Asma al-Assad was in a “50-50″ fight with leukemia,

Asma al-Assad reportedly has a 50-50 chance of surviving after she fled from Syria to Russia earlier this month.

Born in London, Asma, 49, has joint Syrian citizenship but her British passport is reported to have expired in September 2020.