On November 14, 2023, French criminal investigative judges have issued arrest warrants for Syria’s President Bashar al-Assad, his brother Major General Maher al Assad, de facto leader of the 4th Armored Division, as well as the Director of Branch  450 of the Syrian Scientific Studies and Research Center (SSRC), General Ghassan  Abbas, and Presidential Advisor for Strategic Affairs and liaison officer between the  Presidential Palace and the SSRC, General Bassam al-Hasan on charges of complicity to use banned chemical weapons against civilians in in the town of Douma and the district of Eastern Ghouta in 2013, which resulted in the deaths of more than /1,000/  people. 

The signatory organizations, non-governmental organizations (NGOs), and victim associations welcome this unprecedented judicial measure, which is a significant advancement in the pursuit of justice for the victims of such brutal attacks. The issuance of these historical warrants is a direct outcome of the bravery of survivors and their unwavering commitment to justice, as they provided crucial testimonies and information that paved the way for this momentous decision. 

We hope that this landmark judicial decision constitutes a step on the path to justice and sustainable peace in Syria, and serves as a cornerstone in the fight against impunity and the prosecution of those highest responsible for war crimes and crimes against humanity. This would ensure that the law is upheld and respected by preventing criminals from evading accountability irrespective of any immunity they may enjoy. 

The signatory organizations demand: 

• Taking the necessary executive measures to ensure the implementation of these warrants and the arrest of suspects to be brought to justice, which would ensure the effectiveness of the steps taken in these judicial procedures, and oppose any attempt to use immunities to escape punishment for crimes committed in Syria or other conflict zones. 
• Other national judicial authorities to follow the example taken by the French judiciary, and take similar measures regarding other violations committed in  Syria. 
• The immediate halt of all normalization processes with the Syrian regime taken by some governments. 

These arrest warrants would not have been issued without the courage of the survivors of chemical attacks, whose role in supporting the path of justice deserves all respect and appreciation, so is the step taken by French judges,  which emphasizes the importance of judicial integrity and independence, which we sought to have in future Syria, hoping that we hold all perpetrators of violations accountable before Syrian courts in the future. 

Civil Organizations and Groups Signatories  

1. Access Center for Human Rights (ACHR) 
2. Adel Centre For Human rights 
3. Al Aseel Association for Developmen 
4. Al baghooz Hope for Development 
5. Al-Kawakibi Center for Transitional Justice and Human Rights
6. Alseeraj Sweden 
7. Amal Alfurat organization  
8. Amal Healing and Advocacy Center 
9. Anwar Al Ghad Organization  
10. Association of Victims of Chemical Weapons 
11. Badael  
12. Baladn 
13. Bassmet Wattan Center 
14. Baytna 
15. Be free team 
16. Better Tomorrow organization 
17. Caesar Families Association  
18. Center for Civil Society and Democracy, CCSD 
19. Center for Extremism Studies 
20. Change Makers 
21. Civil Center in Atarb  
22. Community Solidarity Organization 
23. Deirna Organization 
24. Diaa Alamal Association  
25. Do Not Suffocate The Truth  
26. Dozana 
27. Ebdaa organization for Development
28. Elaf for reilaf and development 
29. Enma Aljazera organization  
30. Enmaa 
31. Enmaa Alfourat  
32. Environment Protection and Sustainable Development Organization
33. Eve Humanitarian Association 
34. Families of Truth and Justice 
35. Finjan  
36. Fraternity Foundation for Human Rights -FFHR 
37. Future Makers Team 
38. Hajeen organization  
39. Haneen.alfurat  
40. Hevy for relief and development 
41. Holm for Development  
42. Hooz Center for Social Development 
43. HOPE LINKS for DEVELOPMENT 
44. Hope Makers  
45. House of Citizenship Organization 
46. Hurras Network 
47. Ishtar Development Organization 
48. Jana Watan 
49. Jozour Syria Civil Society Organization  
50. Justice and sustainable development 
51. Justice-paths 
52. Kesh Malek 
53. Khutwa association 
54. Kurdish Human Rights Committee – Observer 
55. Kurdish International Committee for Human Rights  
56. LACU 
57. Lawyers and Doctors for human rights 
58. Local Development and Small-Projects Support (LDSPS)
59. Mihad 
60. Mnemonic – Syrian Archive 
61. Multka Alnhren Organization  
62. Nawras development organization 
63. Pioneers of peace 
64. Pro-justice organization  
65. Quality for Research and Development QRD 
66. Rising for freedom 
67. Safe land 
68. Sanabel Al Furat Development Organization 
69. Sawaeed Organization for Development  
70. SEMA 
71. Sphere organization for Studies and Development S.S.D
72. Syria Faith initiative  
73. Syrian American Council (SAC)
74. Syrian British Consortium 
75. Syrian center for legal studies and research 
76. Syrıan Expatriate Medical ASSOCCIATION 
77. Syrian feminist society 
78. Syrian Forum 
79. Syrian Lawyers Aggrigation 
80. Syrian Swedish Democratic Forum SSDF-Syrisk-Svenska  Demokratiförbundet 
81. Syrians Gathered  
82. Taafi initiative  
83. Tara organization 
84. TASTAKEL  
85. Tayif Humanitarian Organization 
86. The Day After 
87. The Lebanese Center for Human Rights (CLDH)
88. The Syrian Center for Media and Freedom of Expression (SCM)
89. The Syrian Legal Development Programme  
90. The Syrian Swedish Association  
91. Togther For Aljarnyia 
92. Tree of Life organization 
93. Union of Revolutionary Bureaus ( URB) 
94. Union of syrian coordinations around the world
95. Vision organization  
96. Women For Peace 
97. Women Now for Development  
98. Women’s Organization for Transitional Justice 
99. Zahrat alfurat Organization  
100. Zameen for development and peace-building  
101. جمعية الأصدقاء للاغاثة والتنمية. 
102. جمعية ماري للثقافة والفنون والبيئة. 
103. مركز الدفاع عن الحريات . 
104. مركز الماسة للدراسات والأبحاث والاستشارات والتحكيم والتدريب . 
105. منظمة سارا لمناهضة العنف ضد المراة. 
106. منظمة معا نبني الوطن .