In August 2012 , Saudi newspaper '' Al-Watan '' claimed that Assad was willing to step down and that his brother Maher had lost his legs in the 18 July 2012 Damascus bombing , allegedly quoting the Russian deputy foreign minister Mikhail Bogdanov . The information was immediately denied in Russian media . The daily then released an audio of the claimed conversation , but the voice reportedly did not sound like Bogdanov 's . Other sources , including a Western diplomat , said they had heard Maher lost a leg
18 July 2012 Damascus bombing
18 July 2012 Damascus bombing
Maher al-Assad