Overview

• The Cour de Cassation ruled that international law grants heads of state personal immunity from foreign prosecution during their term, invalidating the November 2023 warrant against Bashar al-Assad.
• Judges said new arrest warrants can be issued now that Assad has left office, as demonstrated by a second warrant issued in January over an alleged 2017 Deraa bombing.
• The initial warrant accused Assad of directing 2013 sarin gas attacks in Eastern Ghouta, Adra and Douma that killed more than 1,000 civilians.
• The case tested France’s universal jurisdiction framework and underscored tensions between established immunity norms and efforts to hold leaders accountable for chemical weapons use.
• Rights advocates and investigators say the ruling also clears the path for future charges against other regime figures, including ex-Central Bank governor Adib Mayaleh.