Confidential sources revealed to Syria TV new details about Luna al-Shibl‘s relationship with Russia and the mysterious events that unfolded in the final hours before her death, casting a shadow over the Syrian arena.
According to the sources, Luna Shibl was initially taken to a dispensary in Yafour instead of being transferred to a fully equipped hospital. Despite the presence of her escorts and driver, who were fully aware of the situation, they did not take her to a better-equipped facility. She was later transferred to al-Shami Hospital in Damascus, raising doubts about the motives behind this unusual behaviour.
Upon her arrival at al-Shami Hospital, her escorts and driver were detained in an unknown location. This coincided with the arrival of a masked armed group that prevented anyone from entering.
Informed sources indicated that the presence of this group suggested an association with the presidential palace, as the hospital is located within the presidential cordon.
Luna al-Shibl is in Intensive Care: Sidelining, Accusations of Espionage, and Planned “Accident”
Luna’s husband, Ammar Saati, faced humiliating treatment when he was denied entry to the hospital. Despite his attempts to reach out to the office of Maher al-Assad, his close friend, he received no response. After two hours of waiting and pleading, he was finally allowed to communicate with the doctors after the fighters withdrew.
On the same evening, doctors from Lebanon arrived around nine o’clock to arrange Luna’s transfer to Beirut. However, sudden directives halted the transfer, citing her unstable health condition.
It is noteworthy that Ammar Saati, during his years of prominence among the active figures in the regime, had garnered significant support from the business class in Damascus.
Suspicious remittances and partnerships
These mysterious events have sparked widespread speculation about the real reasons behind these actions. Reports indicate that the brother of Assad’s special adviser, Molham al-Shibl, and his wife were arrested a week before the Baath Party congress held on May 5th. The arrest was on charges of espionage with foreign entities, specifically for allegedly spying for Israel and contributing to leaking the coordinates of individuals assassinated by Israel in Syria. Following the arrest of Molham and his wife, Ammar Saati and Luna were excluded from the conference and harassed.
The sources suggest that while the espionage charges provided a convenient pretext for these actions, all indications point to personal motives linked to Bashar al-Assad’s relationship with this group. This group is not accused by the Iranians and does not have access to sensitive security issues. The real issue appears to be economic, as Abu Ali Khodr al-Taher was recently removed from the circle of influence, with control over the crossings transferred to Ra’if Quwatly.
The sources further explain that Luna and Ammar were involved in transferring large sums of money abroad through suspicious partnerships with businessman Abu Ali Khodr Taher, who was recently ousted from Assad’s inner circle. These economic activities were conducted without the knowledge of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad.
Additionally, it was revealed that Luna registered properties in Russia and Dubai in the name of her brother’s wife, who is currently detained. The deals for the sale of real estate and property between her and Abu Ali Khodr were recorded at amounts greater than the actual value to facilitate the transfer of money out of Syria.
Special relations with Russian officials
Luna also infuriated the regime’s inner circle by cultivating a special relationship with Russian officials, including the Kremlin’s spokesman and his wife. According to Syria TV sources, the travel arrangements for Luna Shibl and her husband Ammar to Russia were made separately from the rest of the regime’s official delegation, demonstrating a sense of superiority over other officials. This was particularly irritating given the presence of the regime head’s sons in Moscow with many close officers, and Luna’s condescending behavior with her husband further aggravated the situation.
After the murder of Yevgeny Prigozhin, the former leader of the Wagner Group, relations between the Syrian regime and Moscow deteriorated. The trajectory of the relationship between the two parties became dependent on the mood of the officials handling the issues, with a clear lack of interest from Russian President Vladimir Putin. This increased Assad’s uncertainty about the stability of his relations with Moscow.
In this context, it is believed that the actions of Luna and Ammar, and their exploitation of personal relationships and economic interests, have negatively affected relations between the Syrian regime and Russia.
This article was translated and edited by The Syrian Observer. The Syrian Observer has not verified the content of this story. Responsibility for the information and views set out in this article lies entirely with the author.
