Historic Ruling: Paris Court Upholds Arrest Warrant for Syrian President Bashar Assad

The Paris appeals court has upheld an international arrest warrant for Syrian President Bashar Assad, citing alleged complicity in war crimes. This ruling challenges the traditional immunity of a serving head of state. Lawyers and NGOs celebrate the decision as a landmark judgment in international justice.

The Paris appeals court on Wednesday validated an international arrest warrant for Syrian President Bashar Assad, accused of complicity in war crimes during Syria's civil war, thereby sustaining its implementation.

Jeanne Sulzer and Clemence Witt, who represented the plaintiffs, along with non-governmental organizations that backed the complaint, praised the ruling as a historic milestone.

In May, French anti-terrorism prosecutors had requested the court to review the arrest warrant for Assad, arguing his absolute immunity status as a currently serving head of state.

"This marks the first instance of a national court acknowledging that the personal immunity of a serving head of state is not absolute," declared the lawyers in a statement.

Last November, French judicial authorities issued international arrest warrants for Assad, his brother Maher Assad, the commander of the 4th Armored Division, and two Syrian generals, Ghassan Abbas and Bassam al-Hassan, for alleged complicity in war crimes and crimes against humanity, including a 2013 chemical attack on opposition-held Damascus suburbs.

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