France’s judiciary has issued an arrest warrant for former Syrian leader Bashar al-Assad on charges of complicity in war crimes, specifically the 2017 death of a French-Syrian man.
Investigating judges suspect al-Assad of involvement in the murder and attacks on civilians during the Syrian civil war. The victim, a 59-year-old French-Syrian, died when Syrian army helicopters bombed his house in the southern city of Daraa in June 2017. According to Le Parisien, French authorities believe al-Assad ordered the attack and provided the necessary resources.
At the time, al-Assad’s forces were attempting to reclaim Daraa from opposition forces. This arrest warrant is part of an ongoing investigation into al-Assad’s role in war crimes. In 2023, the French judiciary issued a similar warrant in connection with the 2013 chemical weapons attacks in East Ghouta, which resulted in hundreds of fatalities, many from the nerve agent Sarin.
Al-Assad has faced increasing international scrutiny over his government’s conduct during the civil war, including accusations of targeting civilians.