An arrest warrant was issued for a seemingly untouchable dictator
A French court has issued an international arrest warrant for the president of Syria, Bashar Al-Assad. Bashar is facing accusations of being implicated in crimes against humanity, mainly due to the alleged use of chemical weapons on civilians.
11:52 AM EST, November 16, 2023
According to "Le Monde", which cites a judicial source consulted by AFP, France issued four arrest warrants with charges relating to complicity in crimes against humanity and war crimes. The charges are related to attacks that occurred on August 21, 2013, in the Syrian village of Ghouta, located on the outskirts of Damascus. Sarin gas was reportedly used during these attacks. American intelligence suggests that more than a thousand people lost their lives during this tragic event.
Along with the Syrian president, the arrest warrant also covers his brother Maher, an elite unit commander in the Syrian army, and two generals named Ghassan Abbas and Bassam Al-Hassan.
"Le Monde" reveals that Parisian investigative judges dealing with crimes against humanity have been conducting a probe since April 2021 into the 2013 Syrian chemical attacks. This investigation was initiated following a complaint lodged by three organizations: The Syrian Center for Media and Freedom of Speech, the Open Society Justice Initiative, and the Syrian Archive. The case is being conducted under the "extraterritorial jurisdiction" of the French judiciary. French investigators are also investigating attacks that took place from the night of August 4 to 5 in the Syrian cities of Adra and Douma, where around 450 people were injured.
This decision is said to be unprecedented by Anwar al-Bunni, a Syrian human rights lawyer and founder of the Syrian Center for Studies and Legal Research. Speaking to CNN, al-Bunni opined that this is the first time in history a nation has issued an arrest warrant for another country's head due to crimes against humanity.
Michael Chammas, who is a lawyer representing the plaintiffs, told CNN that Interpol is expected to issue a red notice regarding this case. He added that if this transpires, all Interpol member countries should comply with the arrest warrant. A red notice is a globalization call to law enforcement agencies to locate and provisionally detain the person in question.
