Lawyers: French judiciary confirms a warrant for arrest of Assad

At the conclusion of the deliberations in a closed session, the civil parties' lawyers announced to the press that arrest warrants had been approved for Bashar al-Assad and his brother Maher, as well as for two officers, Ghassan Abbas and Bassam al-Hassan.

26 June, 2024 18:07

NEWS DESK

The Paris Court of Appeal today certified the arrest warrant issued by the investigating judges against Bashar al-Assad, accused of complicity in crimes against humanity in the deadly chemical attacks of August 2013, according to the victims' lawyers and non-governmental organizations who informed France Press.

Civil party lawyers announced to the press at the conclusion of the deliberations in a closed session that it had been certified.

Thus, the Chamber of Investigation rejected the request of the National Prosecutor's Office to combat terrorism to cancel the arrest warrant for the personal immunity of the superiors while in power, according to the Agency.

The Office of the National Prosecutor for Combating Terrorism has confirmed that the exceptions to the immunity ratione personae of heads of state in their office are unanimously considered to be reserved only for international judicial bodies such as the International Criminal Court and not the courts of foreign states.

Without doubt as to the existence of elements proving the involvement of Bashar al-Assad in the chemical attacks of August 2013, the National Office of the Attorney General for Combating Terrorism wanted the matter to be decided by a higher court.

In the coming days, the Office of the Prosecutor for Combating Terrorism may appeal to the Court of Cassation, the highest court in the French judicial system.

Since 2021, after a complaint was filed, the investigating judges of the Crimes against Humanity Unit of the Paris Judicial Court have been investigating the chain of command, which led to the attacks of August 4 to 5 in Adra and Douma and on August 21, 2013, in eastern Ghouta, where, according to United States intelligence, more than 1,000 people were killed by Sarin gas.

The investigations led to the issuance of four mid-November arrest warrants for the alleged planning of such attacks.

The diary targets Bashar al-Assad and his brother Maher, as well as two officers, Ghassan Abbas and Bassam al-Hassan.

T/Satt.

ANHA