Paris – French prosecutors on Friday called for upholding an arrest warrant against Syria’s deposed president Bashar al-Assad, accusing him of complicity in crimes against humanity.
During a hearing before France’s Court of Cassation, the country’s highest judicial authority, Prosecutor General Rémy Heitz urged judges to lift Assad’s personal immunity, arguing that France no longer recognizes him as Syria’s legitimate president.
Heitz noted that while international law generally shields sitting heads of state from prosecution by foreign courts, an exception should apply in Assad’s case due to the scale of atrocities committed under his rule. France has not recognized Assad’s legitimacy since 2012.
The case stems from the sarin gas attack on Eastern Ghouta near Damascus on August 21, 2013, which killed over 1,000 people. In November 2023, French investigating judges issued an international arrest warrant for Assad on charges of complicity in crimes against humanity and war crimes.
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In June 2024, a Paris appeals court upheld the warrant. However, France’s national anti-terrorism prosecutor and the Paris appeals prosecutor challenged that decision, citing the absolute immunity granted to serving heads of state under international law.
France’s top court is now considering whether immunity should still apply when a sitting leader is accused of mass atrocities. A final decision is expected at a public hearing on July 25.
