The Syrian president is accused of involvement in crimes against humanity.
France has issued an international arrest warrant for Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, accused of involvement in crimes against humanity over the 2013 chemical weapons attacks.
This was reported by France24, citing a source in the court and the plaintiffs in the case.
Syria's ruling regime has been accused of using chemical weapons during the civil war, which began in 2011 after Assad's crackdown on peaceful demonstrations escalated into a deadly conflict.
In particular, a sarin gas attack in Eastern Ghouta near Damascus on August 21, 2013, killed more than 1,000 people, according to intelligence services.
Investigating judges for crimes against humanity at the Paris Criminal Court have been investigating these attacks, attributed to the regime of Bashar al-Assad, since April 2021.
The investigation was launched following a complaint filed by the Syrian Center for Media and Freedom of Expression (SCM), the Open Society Justice Initiative (OSJI) and the Syrian Archive.
France claims worldwide jurisdiction over possible war crimes and crimes against humanity.
International arrest warrants have also been issued for Assad's brother Maher, the de facto head of Syria's elite military unit, and two military generals.
“This decision sets a historic legal precedent. It is another victory for the victims, their families and survivors, and a step towards justice and lasting peace in Syria,” said Mazen Darwish, founder and CEO of SCM.
He recalled that the lawsuit filed in court was accompanied by “testimonies from many victims,” “an in-depth analysis of the Syrian military command,” as well as “hundreds of documents, including photographs and videos.”
Let us recall that in March 2023, Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, during his visit to Moscow and meeting with his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin, announced support for the Russian invasion of Ukraine.
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