French Judges Issue New Arrest Warrant for Bashar al-Assad Over 2017 War Crimes

The former Syrian president, now in Russia, faces accusations of complicity in a deadly attack on civilians in Deraa.

A French court has issued a second arrest warrant for Bashar al-Assad, accusing him of complicity in war crimes during a 2017 attack in Deraa that killed a French-Syrian civilian.
The warrant follows an investigation linking Assad, as Syria's military commander, to the bombing of civilian areas and the death of Salah Abou Nabout, a 59-year-old French-Syrian resident.
Assad lost immunity from prosecution after being ousted from power in December 2024 by a coalition led by the Islamist group Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS).
This is the second warrant issued against Assad by French judges, with the first in 2023 addressing chemical attacks in Syria that killed over 1,000 people in 2013.
French courts have also issued 14 arrest warrants against other Syrian officials for war crimes, highlighting ongoing efforts to hold the Assad regime accountable.