THE British-born wife of deposed Syrian tyrant Bashar al-Assad has filed for divorce, reports claim.

Asma al-Assad, 49, and her husband are holed up in Moscow after being forced into exile when Islamic rebels toppled the dictator.

The former first lady, once known as "Rose of the Desert" for her elegance and charm, is said to be dissatisfied with her life under the guard of the Putin regime in Russia and wants to return to the UK.

She is also claimed to have filed for divorce from Assad, who she met in the early 1990s while vacationing in Syria.

They began a relationship when the future murderous tyrant moved to London to train as an ophthalmologist.

The pair then got married in 2000, the same year Assad suddenly inherited Syria's dictatorship after his brother and heir to the regime Bassel died in a car crash.

But Asma has now applied to a Russian court for permission to leave Russia for Britain - and her husband - reports the Jerusalem Post.

Her application is being evaluated by the Russian authorities, it is reported.

Butcher Assad and his family are believed to be under "severe restrictions" in Moscow, and he is barred from leaving the city or engaging in political activities.

His assets and money in Russia are reported to be frozen - but he is claimed to have moved some 270 kilograms of gold and £1.6 billion to Moscow.

Assad or his clan are believed to own dozens of apartments in the Russian capital.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov today rejected claims Asma had filed for divorce.

He said: "No they do not correspond to reality."

The tyrant and his family were offered a safe haven by Vladimir Putin, who spirited the toppled president out of Syria on December 8 - shortly before his country fell into the hands of rebels.

Asma and the couple's three children were already in Russia, where reports say she has been undergoing treatment for acute myeloid leukaemia, an aggressive form of blood and bone marrow cancer.

Reports claim she would prefer to be treated in the UK.

In Moscow, the Assad clan is linked to luxury properties in both the 990ft City of Capitals complex and the nearby 1,226ft Federation Tower.

His extended family owns dozens of properties here and elsewhere in Moscow, but it is believed the family now resides in official Russian government accommodation.

One week before Assad's loss of power, the couple's eldest son Hafez Bashar al-Assad, 23, had been in Russia defending his thesis at Moscow State University.

His mother Asma had celebrated with him in Russia when he was awarded his degree at the same university last year.

The Sun reported how Asma's parents left their North West London suburb home early in December - as rebel forces launched their advance on Damascus.