French investigating magistrates have issued an arrest warrant for former Syrian leader Bashar al-Assad on suspicion of complicity in war crimes, the second such warrant issued by France’s judicial authorities, according to a source cited by AFP on Tuesday.
The warrant, issued Monday, holds Assad responsible as the “commander-in-chief of the armed forces” for a bombing in the Syrian city of Deraa in 2017, which killed a civilian. The case revolves around Salah Abou Nabout, a 59-year-old Franco-Syrian national and former French teacher, who was killed on June 7, 2017, when Syrian army helicopters bombed his home.
French judiciary officials are certain that it is Assad who instructed and sponsored this attack. Besides, there have already been an arrest warrant of six senior officials within the Syrian Army, issued under this very case, opened to investigation back in 2018.
Son to the victim, Omar Abou Nabout hopes that at long last there could be the real trial to those who caused harm and finally sentenced.
The current warrant was a follow-up of an earlier one issued in November 2023, related to Assad’s role in the alleged chemical attacks back in 2013. With his ouster, Assad escaped to Russia; thus, his immunity as head of state was lost.