French Justice Targets Bashar al-Assad Again for War Crimes Complicity

The former Syrian president, now exiled in Russia, is facing a new arrest warrant issued by French judges. This decision, announced on Tuesday, January 21, seeks to prosecute him for complicity in war crimes linked to a bombing in the city of Deraa in 2017. The civil parties’ lawyer, Clémence Bectarte, confirmed the information to franceinfo.

French authorities argue that Bashar al-Assad, as the hierarchical superior of the senior military officers involved, not only approved this attack but also provided the means necessary to carry it out. This warrant is part of a judicial investigation launched in 2018, which has already resulted in arrest warrants against six high-ranking Syrian military officials.

A Franco-Syrian Victim at the Heart of the Investigation

This new warrant follows thorough investigations that determined Salah Abou Nabout, a 59-year-old Franco-Syrian citizen, died on June 7, 2017, in the bombing of his home in Deraa. His son, Omar Abou Nabout, expressed hope for justice to be served:

“This case represents the culmination of a long fight for justice, one that my family and I believed in from the very beginning. We hope a trial will take place and that those responsible will be arrested and prosecuted, wherever they are.”

Previous Legal Actions Already Taken

This is not the first time the former Syrian leader has been targeted by French justice. In November 2023, a first arrest warrant was issued against him for chemical attacks carried out in 2013 in Adra, Douma, and Eastern Ghouta.

“An arrest warrant has been issued against Bashar al-Assad: the regime’s crimes, which I witnessed firsthand at Saydnaya prison, must not go unpunished,” French Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot stated on X. He added:
“France remains committed to ensuring justice for the Syrian people.”

Since his regime was overthrown last December, Bashar al-Assad has been living in exile in Russia with his family.

International Justice and War Crimes in Syria

The issuance of this warrant underscores the commitment of French judicial institutions to prosecute those responsible for war crimes in Syria. The civil parties hope this decision will mark a step toward recognizing the suffering endured by thousands of victims.