French Magistrates Issue Arrest Warrant for Assad

French magistrates have issued a new arrest warrant for former Syrian leader Bashar al-Assad, alleging complicity in war crimes. This warrant, dated January 20, is part of an investigation into a bombing that killed Franco-Syrian national Salah Abou Nabour in 2017. Assad was overthrown in December 2024.

In a significant legal development, French investigating magistrates have issued an arrest warrant against Bashar al-Assad, the former Syrian leader, for his alleged role in war crimes. The charges include involvement in deliberate attacks on civilians, according to a legal source on Tuesday.

The warrant, issued on January 20, forms a part of a broader investigation into the death of Franco-Syrian national Salah Abou Nabour, who was killed in a bombing raid in Syria on June 7, 2017. This marks the second time French judges have targeted Assad with such legal actions.

Assad had previously been implicated in November 2023 on charges of complicity in crimes against humanity due to chemical attacks in Douma and the district of Eastern Ghouta in 2013, which left over 1,000 dead. Despite repeated accusations, Assad's government has historically denied any involvement in chemical attacks during the Syrian civil war.

(With inputs from agencies.)