US Edition
French court to decide if Assad can be stripped of immunity and tried for Syrian chemical attacks
FRANCE, JUL 25 – France's top court upheld immunity for Assad but allowed possible future war crime warrants amid evidence linking him to chemical attacks killing over 1,000 people, legal experts say.
- France's highest court is ruling on July 26, 2025, whether to strip former Syrian President Bashar al-Assad of head-of-state immunity for alleged chemical attacks.
- The case follows a 13-year civil war and an arrest warrant issued in November 2023 accusing Assad of complicity in war crimes with attacks in Eastern Ghouta in 2013 and other towns.
- Following a rebel advance in late 2024, Assad sought refuge in Russia in December, while French authorities consider moving forward with a trial in absentia, relying on evidence gathered by Syrian human rights groups and prosecutors in Europe.
- Legal experts say the ruling could set a precedent as it might allow prosecuting sitting or former leaders, with Mazen Darwish calling it a "huge victory for the victims" and a first in judicial history.
- A positive ruling could lead to legal actions against other members of the regime and demonstrate that holding immunity does not protect those responsible for crimes against humanity, thereby challenging the conventional legal safeguards for heads of state.
133 Articles
133 Articles
France's highest court upholds some of Bashar Assad's legal protections, but permits future warrants
The decision is a blow to activists who had hoped the court would set aside the immunity, a decision that could have had far-reaching consequences for other leaders accused of atrocities
French judges had issued a warrant for compliance in crimes against humanity and war crimes against Bashar al-Assad, by chemical attacks attributed to their regime in 2013.
By deciding that the personal immunity enjoyed by any head of state applied to the fallen Syrian president, the highest French court missed on Friday an opportunity to advance the fight against impunity for war criminals. Without closing the door to further prosecution.
Arab News
The Frontier PostFrance’s top court annuls arrest warrant against Syria’s Assad
PARIS: France’s highest court Friday annulled a French arrest warrant against Syria’s ex-president Bashar Assad — issued before his ouster — over 2013 deadly chemical attacks. The Court of Cassation ruled there were no exceptions to presidential immunity, even for alleged war crimes and crimes against humanity. But its presiding judge, Christophe Soulard, added that, as Assad
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