Judicial authorities France they released order against him Syrian President Bashar al-Assadand several high-ranking officials of the country for their alleged complicity in war crimes and crimes against humanity for a chemical weapons attack carried out in August 2012 against Eastern Ghouta.

Judicial sources cited by the French newspaper’Le ParisianAn arrest warrant was also issued for the Syrian President’s brother Maher al-Assad, commander of the 4th Armored Division; Ghassan Abbas, senior fellow at the Center for Scientific Research and Research (CERS); and Bassam el-Hassan, head of security and liaison officer between the president and the said organization.

The decision was made on the basis petition presented in March 2021 Syrian Center for Media and Freedom of Expression (SCM) and Syrian victims, after which various organizations became civilian parties in the lawsuit against Assad.

Claim supported Open Society Justice Initiative and Syrian Archivehad testimonies of survivors and sought the opening of an investigation that would “bring to justice those who ordered and carried out the attacks.”

Founder and CEO of the SCM Mazen Darwish said that the decision of the French justice means “historical legal precedent” and spoke of “a new victory for victims, their families and survivors, and a step towards justice and sustainable peace in Syria.”

“Investigating judges in France have given their word regarding this type of crime: no one is immune. We hope that the French authorities respect the suffering and rights of victims, in accordance with the decision of French justice.“He emphasized this in a statement published by the organization on its website.

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For his part, Hadi al-Jativ, founder Syrian Archivestressed that “thanks to these arrest warrants, France takes a firm position that the terrible crimes that occurred ten years ago cannot and will not go unaccounted for.”

In this sense, Steve Costas from Open Society Justice Initiativeemphasized that “this This is the first time that a sitting head of state has received an arrest warrant in another country. for war crimes and crimes against humanity.”

🔴Bashar al-Assad issued an arrest warrant to French justice. He is accused of complicity in crimes against humanity and complicity in war crimes.

➡️ https://t.co/6gRvPWTbg3 pic.twitter.com/SuUKfJ34cG

— Le Parisien (@le_Parisien) November 15, 2023

“This is a historical moment. In this case, France has the opportunity to establish the principle that no immunity for the most serious international crimes, even at the highest level,” he concluded.

He sarin gas attack in Eastern Ghouta was executed in August 2013 and led to death of hundreds of civilians, although estimates vary. The opposition, the United States and the European Union (EU) blamed the Syrian government for the incident, which, for its part, together with Russia, pointed to the rebels as the culprits of the incident.

An investigation by a UN team concluded that “environmental, chemical and medical samples collected indicate clear and convincing evidence that surface-to-surface missiles containing sarin gas were used in Ein Tarm, Moamadiyah and Zamalka, in the Eastern Ghouta region of Damascus.”

(Europe Press)