French judges have issued arrest warrants for Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, his brother Maher, and two senior aides, accusing them of carrying out chemical weapon attacks on the city of Douma in Eastern Ghouta in 2013.
On August 21, 2013, a sarin gas attack occurred in Eastern Ghouta and Moadamiyah al-Sham (Western Ghouta), key strongholds of opposition factions near the Syrian capital. The opposition at the time accused the Syrian government of carrying out the attack.
By the end of that month, the United States announced it had “strong confidence” that the Syrian government was “responsible” for the attack, which claimed the lives of 1,429 people, including 426 children.
The United Nations also published a report on September 16 by its experts who investigated the attack, stating there was “clear and convincing evidence” of the use of sarin gas.
The investigation into the “chemical Douma” case in 2013 was initiated in March 2021 based on a criminal complaint filed by the Syrian Center for Media and Freedom of Expression (SCM) and Syrian victims, relying on testimonies from survivors.
The complaint received support from the Syrian Archive, the Open Society Justice Initiative, and the Civil Rights Defenders, which joined as civil parties, along with members of the Association of Victims of Chemical Weapons (AVCW).
Mazen Darwish, the General Director of the Syrian Center for Media and Freedom of Expression, stated on Wednesday that “the issuance of arrest warrants against the head of state, Bashar al-Assad, and his associates represents a historic judicial precedent.”
He added that it is “another victory for the victims, their families, and survivors, and a step towards justice and sustainable peace in Syria.”
“French investigative judges have had their say in this type of crime; no one is immune. We expect the French authorities to respect the suffering of the victims and their rights, along with the decision of the French judiciary,” Darwish continued in a statement.
In addition to Bashar al-Assad and Maher al-Assad, arrest warrants have been issued for Brigadier General Ghassan Abbas, the director of Branch 450 at the Syrian Scientific Studies and Research Center (SSRC), and Major General Bassam al-Hassan, the “presidential adviser for strategic affairs” and the liaison officer between the presidential palace and the SSRC, according to the Syrian Center.
This judicial action taken by French investigative judges follows a criminal investigation into the chemical weapon attacks in August 2013, led by the specialized unit for crimes against humanity and war crimes of the Paris Judicial Court.
In addition to extensive direct testimonies from numerous victims, the criminal complaint, which takes the form of a civil action, contains a comprehensive analysis of the Syrian military leadership’s chain of command.
It also includes the “Syrian government’s chemical weapons program, hundreds of pieces of chemical weapons evidence, and documentary evidence, including photographs and videos,” according to the Syrian Center.
