Leaked documents expose Asma al-Assad’s alleged ties to British intelligence before marriage

Recent documents suggest that Asma al-Assad, wife of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, had alleged connections to British intelligence agencies before her marriage and played a significant role in shaping internal and external Syrian policies.

The documents, reportedly released by Syrian journalist Nizar Nayouf, and media outlet Watanserb reveal details of Asma al-Assad’s alleged ties to both MI5 and MI6, her professional background in finance, and her suspected involvement in intelligence operations.

The documents quickly dominated the social media. However, allegedly leaked documents remained unverified.

Concerns about marriage raised with former Syrian president

According to documents presented to former Syrian President Hafez al-Assad by then-Military Intelligence Chief Ali Duba, concerns about Asma Al-Assad’s connections with British intelligence agencies were raised as early as 1992.

The documents claim that Asma’s mother, Sahar al-Atrissi, allegedly facilitated secret meetings between Bashar al-Assad and British intelligence officials.

In a 1998 report, it was noted that Asma al-Assad was believed to be working with MI5 and MI6.

Alleged intelligence role before marriage

Before her marriage, Asma al-Assad reportedly worked at J.P. Morgan in London, where she allegedly had intelligence-gathering responsibilities. She also reportedly worked at Deutsche Bank.

The documents claim her duties included analyzing financial data and monitoring investments on behalf of British intelligence.

A December 1992 meeting involving Bashar al-Assad, Sahar al-Atrissi, and Asma al-Assad was reportedly attended by Eliza Manningham-Buller, a senior MI5 officer at the time, who later became the director general of MI5 from 2002 to 2007.

The topics reportedly included political discussions related to Syrian-Israeli peace negotiations.

The documents also suggest that Asma al-Assad was tasked with influencing the restructuring of the Republican Guard and broader Syrian military institutions, with alleged collaboration from the security consultancy firm Henry Jackson Society, which has been linked to Western intelligence agencies.

Bashar al-Assad under surveillance in Britain

Another part of the leaked document, dated December 1994, indicates that Bashar al-Assad was under surveillance during his time in the U.K.

The document describes meetings attended by Bashar, Asma and British officials, including Manningham-Buller. Discussions reportedly centered on Syrian-Israeli peace talks and Syria’s future political direction.

Destruction of intelligence archives

Sources suggest that in recent years, Syrian intelligence agencies have destroyed significant portions of their paper and digital archives to prevent further leaks.

Alleged role in Syrian-Israeli relations

One document indicates that Asma al-Assad played a role in facilitating communications between Syria and Israel through the British-Syrian Friendship Association.

During the 2006 Lebanon conflict, Bashar al-Assad reportedly conveyed a verbal message to the Israeli prime minister via Asma’s family connections.

The validity of these documents remains unverified by independent sources, and neither the Syrian government nor involved intelligence agencies have issued official comments.