France issues new arrest warrant for Syria's Assad - source


  • World
  • Wednesday, 22 Jan 2025

FILE PHOTO: Syria's President Bashar Al-Assad attends Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) summit in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, November, 11, 2023. Saudi Press Agency/Handout via REUTERS/File Photo

PARIS (Reuters) - French investigating magistrates have issued an arrest warrant against ousted Syrian leader Bashar al-Assad for suspected complicity in war crimes, notably the launch of a deliberate attack on civilians, a legal source said late on Tuesday.

The mandate was issued on Jan. 20 as part of an investigation into the case of Salah Abou Nabour, a Franco-Syrian national, who was killed on June 7, 2017 in a bombing raid in Syria.

This is the second arrest warrant issued by French judges, for the former Syrian leader, who was overthrown in early December 2024 by insurgent forces led by the Islamist Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS).

In November 2023, French judges had issued a first warrant against Bashar al-Assad on charges of complicity in crimes against humanity and complicity in war crimes.

It followed a French investigation into chemical attacks in Douma and the district of Eastern Ghouta in August 2013 that killed more than 1,000 people.

Assad's government has in the past denied using chemical weapons against its opponents in the civil war, which broke out in March 2011.

(Reporting by Juliette Jabkhiro, writing by Dominique Vidalon, editing by Benoit Van Overstraeten)

Follow us on our official WhatsApp channel for breaking news alerts and key updates!

Next In World

Russian drones hit Ukraine port, Moldova says drones exploded on its soil
There must be no imposed peace in Ukraine, says Germany's Scholz
Factbox-What do we know about the Putin-Trump relationship?
German foreign minister: Europe needs to be involved in Ukraine talks
NATO's Rutte says Kyiv must be involved in everything about Ukraine
Australia's 50 richest now control $153 billion as Rinehart tops list again
Ukraine's future NATO membership not off the table, Sweden says
Exclusive-Syria's new leaders zero in on Assad's business barons
Analysis-Trump says he backs Ukraine, but early concessions to Russia spark concerns
Suspected gas blast at Taiwan mall kills four, injures 26

Others Also Read