French Court Confirms Arrest Warrant for Bashar al-Assad for 2013 Chemical Attack

A French court has upheld an international arrest warrant against Syrian President Bashar al-Assad for his alleged involvement in a chemical attack in the Damascus suburb of Ghouta in August 2013. The attack, which involved sarin gas, resulted in the deaths of over 1,000 people, including many children. This decision by the Paris appeals court marks a significant moment as it challenges the immunity typically granted to serving heads of state, reaffirming the warrant for Assad on charges of complicity in war crimes and crimes against humanity.

• The 2013 chemical attack in Ghouta, Damascus, killed over 1,000 individuals, including hundreds of children, with the Assad regime widely blamed for the incident.
• Despite international allegations, the Syrian government has consistently denied using chemical weapons and claims to have dismantled its chemical arsenal under a US-Russia agreement.
• In 2021, a complaint in France led to an investigation by the crimes against humanity division of the Paris Judicial Court into the 2013 attack.
• On November 14, 2023, an international arrest warrant was issued for Bashar al-Assad and three others for complicity in war crimes and crimes against humanity.
• The French national anti-terrorism Prosecutor’s Office initially sought to annul the warrant, citing Assad’s immunity as a serving head of state.
• The Paris appeals court, however, ruled that the warrant against Assad is valid and would remain in effect, marking a historic judicial stance against a sitting president.

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