Deposed Syrian dictator Bashar al-Assad was the target of a poisoning operation in Russia last month and nearly died under the watch of his longtime patron Vladimir Putin, according to the UK-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights.

The watchdog reported Thursday that Assad was rushed to an emergency facility near Moscow on September 20 and admitted to intensive care in critical condition. He was released last week after recovering, the group said.

Rami Abdul Rahman, the organization’s director, said a “reliable source” confirmed Assad was poisoned inside his villa near Moscow, a property heavily guarded by Russian security forces.

“We asked the Russian authorities to clarify what happened and who poisoned him,” Rahman wrote. “The source confirmed that the Russian government had nothing to do with the matter, but it may have been intended to implicate the Russian government.”

Rahman stressed that those behind the operation were not connected to either the Syrian or U.S. governments. Still, he said, “Whether he was killed or not, the Russian government is responsible and has not yet responded to the matter.”

Assad’s brother Maher and close aide Mansour Azzam were permitted to visit him in the hospital, Rahman added. The ousted strongman has been living in Russia with family and aides since rebels toppled his regime last year after two decades of iron-fisted rule.

The Telegram channel General SVR, which claims to be run by a former Russian intelligence insider, alleged in December that Assad had been poisoned in an earlier assassination attempt. Fact-checking outlet Snopes, however, questioned the credibility of that account, citing the channel’s record of unverified claims and lack of corroborating evidence.

Assad’s wife Asma has also been a focus of attention. Diagnosed with leukemia, she has reportedly sought a return to London, where her health could be “adequately monitored,” according to her father, who spoke to the Daily Beast last year.

The Kremlin has not issued a statement on the poisoning allegation, leaving unanswered questions about how an ex-dictator living under Russian protection could be targeted so brazenly near Moscow.

(YWN World Headquarters – NYC)