(Credit: Wikipedia)   Syrian President Bashar al-Assad

By  Gary  Raynaldo   –      DIPLOMATIC  TIMES

A French court issued an international arrest warrant for Bashar al-Assad on Wednesday, for complicity in war crimes, citing his use of chemical weapons against Syrian civilians. The court action is historic as it is believed to be the first time a sitting head of state has been the subject of an arrest warrant in another country for crimes against humanity. According to the Guardian, investigating judges from the crimes against humanity division of the Paris judicial court have been investigating the chemical attacks in Syria since April 2021. In addition, arrest warrants were also issued for his brother and two army generals for alleged complicity in war crimes and crimes against humanity. 

According to the  Guardian,  Steve Kostas, senior managing lawyer at the Open Society Justice Initiative, said: “This is the first time a sitting head of state has been the subject of an arrest warrant in another country for war crimes and crimes against humanity. “This is a historic moment – with this case, France has an opportunity to establish the principle that there is no immunity for the most serious international crimes, even at the highest level.”