Exiled Syrian dictator Bashar al-Assad was hospitalized recently after being poisoned while hiding out in Russia, according to a human rights watchdog.

al-Assad, a longtime ally of Russian President Vladimir Putin, was rushed to an emergency room on Sept. 20 in critical condition, but was released nine days later after receiving medical care, The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights first reported Thursday.

He was poisoned while at home in a villa near Moscow that the report claims is heavily guarded by Russian authorities. 3

His movements are restricted, but al-Assad has had many visitors to the villa.

“Whether the poisoning was a result of confusion or more, no one knows,” reads the report. “When Bashar al-Assad was admitted to the hospital, he was admitted in an emergency

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