French court confirms arrest warrant for Bashar al-Assad

The French Appeals Court, on Wednesday, upheld the arrest warrant issued against former Syrian President Bashar al-Assad for his use of banned chemical weapons against civilians in the Damascus countryside in 2013. 

According to Reuters, the warrant, approved by French judges in November 2023, is linked to charges of "complicity in crimes against humanity" and "complicity in war crimes." This follows a French investigation into the chemical attacks that took place in Douma and Eastern Ghouta in the Damascus countryside in August 2013, which resulted in the deaths of over 1,000 people.

 Mazen Darwish, the director of the Syrian Center for Media and Freedom of Expression, speaking to Reuters, welcomed the court's decision, describing it as a "historic victory."

He added, "Today is an exceptional day, and it is a historic victory not only for the victims of Syria but for all victims worldwide." Darwish, one of the lawyers who filed the lawsuit against Assad, emphasized that "the court's decision confirms what we have always reiterated," noting that "when it comes to crimes against humanity, war crimes, and the use of chemical weapons, immunity should never be an excuse." Commenting on the ruling, Steve Kostas, the Senior Legal Advisor at the Open Justice Initiative, told Reuters: "This decision affirms that the rules of international law regarding immunity cannot be synonymous with impunity, especially when it comes to the most serious international crimes."

The French news agency reported that the arrest warrant dates back to November 2023, when it was issued by Paris investigative judges on charges of Assad’s complicity in crimes against humanity related to the chemical attacks targeting Eastern Ghouta.

 It added that the Appeals Court upheld the warrant in June 2024, noting that the National Anti-Terrorism Prosecutor's Office, followed by the Appellate Public Prosecutor's Office, had filed appeals based on the absolute immunity from foreign courts granted to heads of state, heads of government, and foreign ministers during their tenure.

a.k

ANHA