A French court has issued a new arrest warrant for Assad over war crimes
A French court has issued a new arrest warrant against Syria’s former leader Bashar al-Assad, accusing him of complicity in war crimes. The charges are linked to a deadly barrel bomb attack in 2017 that killed French-Syrian citizen Salah Abou Nabout in Daraa.
Details of the French accusation
The Paris Tribunal’s unit for war crimes initiated the warrant this week. Assad is held responsible as the military’s commander-in-chief during the attack. French judges began investigating Nabout’s death in 2018, issuing arrest warrants against six Syrian military officials suspected of following Assad’s orders.
Omar Abou Nabout, the victim’s son, expressed hope for justice. “This case represents a long fight for accountability,” he stated in a public declaration.
A second warrant against Assad
This is the second French warrant targeting Assad. In 2023, French judges issued another warrant for chemical attacks in 2013, which killed over 1,000 civilians in Eastern Ghouta. The Assad regime has denied using barrel bombs or chemical weapons during Syria’s nearly 14-year civil war.
International pursuits for justice
Last week, ICC prosecutor Karim Khan met with Syrian transitional leader Ahmed al-Sharaa in Damascus to discuss accountability for war crimes. European courts, including those in Germany and the Netherlands, have also pursued legal actions against Syrian officials for alleged crimes against humanity.
As international pressure mounts, victims’ families and global bodies continue demanding accountability for crimes committed during the Syrian conflict.
