Former Syrian President Bashar al-Assad 'poisoned in assassination attempt' in Moscow

Reports have emerged of an attempted assassination of ex-Syrian president Bashar Assad in Moscow. The former dictator was granted political asylum in Russia after he was deposed ten months ago.

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights claimed citing a "private source" that Assad was released from hospital on the outskirts of Moscow on Monday. The source claimed that Assad "had been poisoned" and that the motive behind the assassination operation was "to embarrass the Russian government and accuse it of being complicit" in his death.

The report said Assad's condition was now "stable".

Only his brother Maher Assad was allowed to visit him in hospital amid a major security operation, it was claimed.

The Russian government has not, to date, commented on the claims.

Unconfirmed reports earlier suggested he was admitted to hospital in a "critical condition following poisoning".

The new authorities in Syria have demanded Assad's extradition, which Russia has until now refused.

Putin personally granted asylum to Assad along with members of his family and regime associates.

Assad, 60, has not been seen in public since arriving in Russia and is assumed to be kept under close guard by Russian secret services.

There is so far no independent evidence of Assad's poisoning.

An earlier report after Assad had been in Russia for less than one month said that he "complained to his security about feeling unwell and having trouble breathing".

However, this account was not confirmed.