A French court on Wednesday upheld an arrest warrant for Syrian regime leader Bashar al-Assad, accusing him of complicity in the 2013 chemical attack in Eastern Ghouta.
An appeals court in Paris rejected a request by France’s National Anti-Terrorism Prosecutor’s Office (PNAT) to quash the order, which argued that Assad has judicial immunity.
“The prohibition of the use of chemical weapons is part of customary international law as a mandatory rule, and international crimes cannot be considered part of the official duties of the head of state, so the arrest warrant remains in force,” the court’s announcement states.
The case will now be returned to the investigative judges, and the prosecution has five days to appeal to the Court of Cassation.
In November 2023, an arrest warrant was issued for Assad on charges of complicity in crimes against humanity and war crimes related to the 2013 chemical attack.
An arrest warrant was also issued for Assad’s brother, Maher al-Assad, commander of the Syrian Army’s Fourth Division and a regime general.
On August 21, 2013, the Syrian government used chemical weapons in Eastern Ghouta, killing more than 1,400 civilians. In 2018, Eastern Ghouta saw the heaviest blockade by the Syrian government and the most widespread use of weapons. The opposition was forced to evacuate in April 2018 under an agreement with Damascus and Russia, AA writes.
