French Judges Issue New Arrest Warrant for Bashar Al-Assad on War Crime Charges

In a significant legal development, French investigating magistrates have issued a new arrest warrant against ousted Syrian President Bashar Al-Assad. The warrant, issued on Monday, accuses Assad of complicity in war crimes, specifically for his alleged involvement in a deliberate attack on civilians. This decision follows an ongoing investigation into the 2017 bombing raid that killed Franco-Syrian national Salah Abou Nabour.
The warrant marks the second time French authorities have targeted Assad since his removal from power in December 2024 by insurgent forces, notably led by the Islamist group Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham (HTS).
The new investigation and arrest order are tied to Abou Nabour’s death on June 7, 2017, during a bombing raid in Syria. French sources indicate that the magistrates are now focusing on Assad’s role in attacks that specifically targeted civilian populations, further cementing the accusations against the former leader of gross violations during Syria’s brutal civil war.
This is not the first time French authorities have pressed charges against Assad. In November 2023, French judges issued an arrest warrant against him for complicity in crimes against humanity and war crimes in relation to chemical weapons attacks that took place in 2013 in the towns of Douma and Eastern Ghouta. Those attacks, which resulted in over 1,000 deaths, are some of the most notorious events in the Syrian conflict.
While the Syrian government has consistently denied responsibility for using chemical weapons, these charges reflect the ongoing international legal efforts to hold the former regime accountable for atrocities committed during the Syrian Civil War, which erupted in 2011.
Assad’s ouster, after nearly a decade of violent conflict, has only intensified the pressure on his regime as international bodies, including the United Nations, continue to seek justice for the millions affected by the war. The issuance of these warrants indicates that French authorities are committed to pursuing legal actions against individuals accused of perpetrating war crimes, even as the geopolitical landscape in Syria continues to shift.
The investigation into Assad’s alleged complicity in war crimes is still underway, with French legal authorities working to build a case that could lead to further international ramifications for the former Syrian president. As the situation in Syria evolves, the legal pursuit of justice for victims of the conflict remains a key issue for global human rights advocates.
This latest development underscores the ongoing international efforts to address accountability for the crimes committed during the Syrian civil war, even as the world watches closely to see how other nations, including Russia and Iran, continue to engage with the post-Assad landscape in the region.