Over a year since he fled to Moscow after his regime was toppled by rebel forces, former Syrian dictator Bashar al-Assad is taking ophthalmology lessons and enjoying a luxurious lifestyle with his family in Russia, according to a Monday report by The Guardian, citing sources familiar with his situation.

Assad, a London-trained ophthalmologist, is currently “studying Russian and brushing up on his ophthalmology again,” a friend of the Assad family said in the report, adding that the ex-ruler is potentially aiming to practice medicine among Moscow’s elite.

“It’s a passion of his, he obviously doesn’t need the money. Even before the war in Syria began, he used to regularly practice his ophthalmology in........

© The Times of Israel