A French court has approved international arrest warrants for senior Syrian leaders over chemical weapons attacks during the country’s brutal civil war. The legal action is seen as a significant move to hold war criminals accountable for actions taken during the war. Now, in the eleventh year of the war in Syria, the question of when or if any international justice will be forthcoming for alleged atrocity crimes including chemical weapons usage baffles human rights advocates. France Court Confirms Warrant for Syria’s Assad Over Chemical Weapons Claims
How the Arrest Warrant Came About
The French government issued an arrest warrant in November 2018 against Assad and high-ranking members of his regime. A panel of four international judges is in the process of determining whether there is sufficient evidence to issue such a warrant but that over-arching investigation into the deployment of chemical weapons in Syria, has been censured by international human rights groups and foreign governments alike. The court decision not only confirms France´s signing to justice but also looks for the international will of punishment against those who are responsible for war crimes.
The United Nations and the International Criminal Court (ICC) are leading other international efforts to hold those responsible for Syrian war crimes accountable. The most troublesome aspect of the Assad regime for many has been its alleged use of chemical weapons, specifically outlawed by international agreements. France Court Confirms Warrant for Syria’s Assad Over Chemical Weapons Claims
Global Issue: The Use of Chemical Weapons In Syria
The deployment of chemical weapons is one of the most hotly disputed matters in the Syrian civil war. The Assad regime has been repeatedly accused of using chemical weapons in attacks that have led to mass casualties, prompting widespread condemnation from international bodies. The strikes breach the Chemical Weapons Convention, of which the regime is a signatory.
France, while not as bedrock a part of the anti-Assad alliance as the U.K., has certainly shown its disdain for the Assad regime through actions like targeted airstrikes after a 2018 chemical attack in Douma, practices it conducted alongside Britain and the United States. However, the warrant against Assad was backed up by a French court and, as such, it sends an important message that France still refuses to let anyone get away with chemical attacks on its soil. France Court Confirms Warrant for Syria’s Assad Over Chemical Weapons Claims
So What Does This All Mean for Assad?
Given the complicated political dynamics of the conflict in Syria, it is unlikely Assad will be arrested or tried any time soon. Much of Syria is still under the control of Assad, and he has many powerful friends, particularly Russia and Iran. But the other reason that is being cited this afternoon is it is a strong symbolic pointing the line thing that they are unity on, is all of them coming together in upholding this warrant because now increasingly there does seem to be an international move towards trying to get President Assad tried for his alleged war crimes. France Court Confirms Warrant for Syria’s Assad Over Chemical Weapons Claims
France and International Justice
France has always been at the forefront of human and international justice. France is taking legal action against Assad and thereby solidifies its role as a main actor in global accountability efforts. Upholding of arrest warrant comes as validation of France’s general foreign policy stand on the Middle East where it has been a strong advocate for peace and justice in Syria, another region ravaged by conflict.
This decision could also have consequences for the diplomatic relationship between France and Syria, or other countries in the Middle East. With Assad staying in power, France is showing the world that it believes in human rights and justice — no matter how powerful the geopolitical interest is.
The wider Middle East Options Resolver
France has taken legal steps that could affect how other countries address the ongoing Syrian crisis in the wider Middle East. Justice for war crimes and other atrocities committed in those years continues to be a live flash-point as tensions simmer. The French court ruling further stains the Assad regime and one of its key backers, Russia.
This line of thinking may be extended to the rest of the region, which as you know is in a state of turmoil with unresolved conflicts and war crimes from Iraq to Yemen to Palestine… And this measure by France feeds into a growing interest internationally regarding expectations for accountability for such atrocities. This could also support reinforcing the political talks to solve the Syrian war which began in 2011.
A Small Step Towards Accountability
The decision by a French court to confirm the arrest warrant for President Assad is a milestone in the struggle for accountability for the den the Syrian conflict. The road to justice for Assad is not without its obstacles but France’s judicial example points out the importance of international law in terms of dealing with war crimes.
The decision also “brings new hope that justice may prevail in Syria,” said Balkees Jarrah, a senior international justice counsel at Human Rights Watch. “As the conflict in Syria rages on, this ruling shows that even the most powerful leaders may one day face their day of reckoning if they are responsible for war crimes.”
