France’s judicial authorities issued an International Arrest Warrant (EAW) for Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, his brother Maher al-Assad, and two top Syrian officials on Wednesday, charging them with complicity in crimes against humanity and war crimes, according to the France Press Agency (AFP).
The accusations derive from a criminal inquiry into the use of prohibited chemical weapons in the 2013 attacks against Douma and Eastern Ghouta, which killed over 1,000 people.
The Syrian Center for Media and Freedom of Expression (SCM) filed a lawsuit in France, which resulted in these unusual arrest warrants, which are rare to be issued for sitting heads of state because they generally enjoy immunity from prosecution. However, there are exceptions under international law for accusations of war crimes and crimes against humanity or genocide.
SCM President Mazen Darwish called it a “huge development,” noting that the evidence implicates Assad himself in the chemical attacks.
Darwish stated that the case, which relies on testimony from first-hand witnesses and on an accurate military chain of command study, shows the gravity of Assad’s alleged crimes.
Since 2011, the Paris Tribunal’s unit that addresses crimes against humanity has been seeking accountability and justice for atrocities alleged to have been committed by Syrian officials.
Activists had posted videos on YouTube in 2013 showing the aftermath of the attacks, prompting global condemnation. A United Nations report later confirmed the use of sarin gas, leading to increased scrutiny and legal action.
Although Syria has denied using chemical weapons, the international community, including the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW), has consistently held Damascus responsible for chemical attacks during the civil war.
The Syrian conflict, which started in 2011, has killed more than 500,000 and displaced millions of citizens, making this arrest warrant a critical step toward accountability.