The French government has taken an unprecedented step by issuing arrest warrants for Syrian President Bashar al-Assad and several high-ranking officials over allegations of utilizing chemical weapons against civilians in war-torn Syria, according to reports citing a judicial source.
This groundbreaking move marks the first instance of a nation seeking the arrest of a sitting head of state in another country for crimes against humanity. Two investigative judges issued four warrants against President Assad, his brother Maher al-Assad, and two other senior officials on Tuesday, citing complicity in crimes against humanity and war crimes.
Describing the decision as "unprecedented," Syrian human rights lawyer Anwar al-Bunni, a founder of the Syrian Center for Legal Studies and Research, emphasized the significance of this legal action.
The next step anticipated is an Interpol 'Red Notice,' as outlined by Michael Chammas, one of the plaintiff's lawyers. A Red Notice is an international law enforcement request to locate and provisionally arrest an individual pending legal action such as extradition.
The legal proceedings were initiated by the Syrian Centre for Media and Freedom of Expression (SCM), the Open Society Justice Initiative (OSJI), and the Syrian Archive in March 2021. They revolve around the alleged use of banned chemical weapons in the town of Douma and the Eastern Ghouta district in August 2013, resulting in the deaths of more than 1,000 individuals, according to the plaintiffs' statement.
The Syrian government faced accusations of employing poison gas in Ghouta, a Damascus suburb then under rebel control, which the regime had been actively attempting to reclaim for over a year. However, the government countered these accusations by attributing the attacks to opposition forces.
Despite persistent allegations of war crimes, the Syrian government has consistently maintained that its military operations exclusively target "terrorists."
(With Agency Inputs)
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