On November 14, 2023, French criminal investigative judges issued arrest warrants for Syria’s President Bashar al-Assad, his brother Major General Maher al-Assad, de facto leader of the 4th Armored Division, as well as the Director of Branch 450 of the Syrian Scientific Studies and Research Center (SSRC), General Ghassan Abbas, and Presidential Advisor for Strategic Affairs and liaison officer between the Presidential Palace and the SSRC, General Bassam al-Hasan on charges of complicity to use banned chemical weapons against civilians in in the town of Douma and the district of Eastern Ghouta in 2013, which resulted in the deaths of more than /1,000/ people.
The signatory organizations, non-governmental organizations (NGOs) and victim associations welcome this unprecedented judicial measure, which is a significant advancement in the pursuit of justice for the victims of such brutal attacks. The issuance of these historical warrants is a direct outcome of the bravery of survivors and their unwavering commitment to justice, as they provided crucial testimonies and information that paved the way for this momentous decision.
We hope that this landmark judicial decision constitutes a step on the path to justice and sustainable peace in Syria, and serves as a cornerstone in the fight against impunity and the prosecution of those highest responsible for war crimes and crimes against humanity. This would ensure that the law is upheld and respected by preventing criminals from evading accountability irrespective of any immunity they may enjoy.
The signatory organizations demand:
- Taking the necessary executive measures to ensure the implementation of these warrants and the arrest of suspects to be brought to justice, which would ensure the effectiveness of the steps taken in these judicial procedures, and oppose any attempt to use immunities to escape punishment for crimes committed in Syria or other conflict zones.
- Other national judicial authorities to follow the example taken by the French judiciary, and take similar measures regarding other violations committed in Syria.
- The immediate halt of all normalization processes with the Syrian regime taken by some governments.
These arrest warrants would not have been issued without the courage of the survivors of chemical attacks, whose role in supporting the path of justice deserves all respect and appreciation, so is the step taken by French judges, which emphasizes the importance of judicial integrity and independence, which we sought to have in future Syria, hoping that we hold all perpetrators of violations accountable before Syrian courts in the future.
