France Issues Arrest Warrant for Assad

French judicial authorities have issued an arrest warrant for Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, accusing him of complicity in war crimes.

The charges relate specifically to the death of a French-Syrian man during a military assault in Daraa, southern Syria, in 2017.

Investigating judges suspect Assad of complicity in murder and civilian attacks. 

The case involves a 59-year-old man whose home in Daraa was reportedly bombed by Syrian military helicopters in June 2017.

According to judicial sources cited by Le Parisien, French investigators believe Assad ordered the attack and provided the resources to carry it out. At the time, the Syrian government was engaged in efforts to reclaim Daraa from opposition forces.

This is not the first time French authorities have pursued Assad. In 2023, the judiciary issued a separate arrest warrant over allegations of chemical weapon use, particularly during the 2013 attacks on Eastern Ghouta near Damascus.