French court upholds warrant for Syria's Assad over chemical weapons

Assad chemical weapons

A French court has upheld an arrest warrant against Syrian President Bashar Al Assad for alleged complicity in crimes against humanity and war crimes related to chemical attacks in Douma and Eastern Ghouta in 2013. The warrant, issued in November 2023, challenges Assad's immunity as a sitting head of state. The Syrian government denies using chemical weapons in the civil war since 2011. The ruling underscores international efforts to hold leaders accountable for serious crimes, despite customary immunity for heads of state under international law.