The Paris Court of Appeals ruled that the international arrest warrant issued by France against Syrian President Bashar Assad for his alleged involvement in war crimes during the civil war in Syria is valid and will remain in force.
“A HISTORICAL DECISION”
Lawyers Jeanne Sulzer and Clemence Witt, representing the plaintiffs and non-governmental organizations who filed a criminal complaint against Assad in France, described the decision as a historic decision.
“For the first time, a national court has recognized that the personal immunity of a sitting head of state is not absolute,” the lawyers said in their statement.
IT WAS REQUESTED TO REMOVE THE DECISION
In May, French anti-terrorism prosecutors asked the Paris Court of Appeals to lift the arrest warrant against Assad and stated that Assad had absolute immunity as a sitting head of state.
WHAT HAPPENED?
Last November, French judicial authorities issued an international arrest warrant for Assad, his brother Maher Assad, the 4th Armored Division Commander, and two Syrian generals Ghassan Abbas and Bassam al-Hassan, on the grounds that they were involved in war crimes and crimes against humanity.
