France Issues International Arrest Warrants for Syrian President Assad and Three Others

The warrants, related to a 2013 chemical attack, mark a rare move against a serving world leader for alleged war crimes and crimes against humanity.

France has issued international arrest warrants for Syrian President Bashar Assad, his brother Maher Assad, and two army generals, Ghassan Abbas and Bassam al-Hassan, for alleged complicity in war crimes and crimes against humanity.
The warrants are related to a 2013 chemical attack on rebel-held Damascus suburbs, which resulted in over 1,000 deaths and thousands of injuries.
The investigation into the attacks has been conducted under universal jurisdiction in France by a special unit of the Paris Judicial Court since 2021.
The Syrian government, which has consistently denied responsibility for the attacks, has not yet commented on the warrants.
While Assad is unlikely to face trial in France, the warrants send a strong message about his leadership and could potentially lead to his arrest if he travels to countries that recognize the warrants.