The French Court of Cassation is considering the validity of an arrest warrant against Bashar al Assad after he was removed from Power

French authorities announced that the Court of Cassation will discuss on July 4 the validity of the arrest warrant issued against Bashar al Assad, the ousted Syrian president, on charges of complicity in crimes against humanity.

The warrant was issued in 2023 while Assad was in power and enjoyed immunity, but now he is in a different position after his regime was overthrown.

A French judicial source told Agence France-Presse that the highest court in the French judicial system will hold a public hearing in its official formation to consider the case, where it will determine whether the arrest warrant issued in November 2023 against Bashar al Assad is valid.

This warrant relates to the chemical attacks launched by his regime in Adra, Douma, and Eastern Ghouta, which killed more than a thousand people using the toxic gas sarin, according to the CIA.

The National Anti-Terrorism Prosecutor’s Office had previously determined that Assad was involved in the chemical attacks but appealed the arrest warrant due to the immunity he enjoyed at the time, however, in June 2024, the investigative chamber upheld the warrant and confirmed Assad’s involvement in crimes against humanity and war crimes.

The court will revisit this case in July 2025, after Assad’s legal status has changed.

Legal debates are revolving around whether international norms allow the prosecution of those responsible for crimes against humanity even if they enjoyed immunity during their time in power.

In addition to this case, French authorities issued another arrest warrant against Assad in January 2024 for complicity in war crimes, in connection with the bombing of a residential area in Daraa in 2017.