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
- Access Center for Human Rights (ACHR)
- Adel Centre For Human rights
- Al Aseel Association for Developmen
- Al baghooz Hope for Development
- Al-Kawakibi Center for Transitional Justice and Human Rights
- Alseeraj Sweden
- Amal Alfurat organization
- Amal Healing and Advocacy Center
- Anwar Al Ghad Organization
- Association of Victims of Chemical Weapons
- Badael
- Baladn
- Bassmet Wattan Center
- Baytna
- Be free team
- Better Tomorrow organization
- Caesar Families Association
- Center for Civil Society and Democracy, CCSD
- Center for Extremism Studies
- Change Makers
- Civil Center in Atarb
- Community Solidarity Organization
- Deirna Organization
- Diaa Alamal Association
- Do Not Suffocate The Truth
- Dozana
- Ebdaa organization for Development
- Elaf for reilaf and development
- Enma Aljazera organization
- Enmaa
- Enmaa Alfourat
- Environment Protection and Sustainable Development Organization
- Eve Humanitarian Association
- Families of Truth and Justice
- Finjan
- Fraternity Foundation for Human Rights -FFHR
- Future Makers Team
- Hajeen organization
- Haneen.alfurat
- Hevy for relief and development
- Holm for Development
- Hooz Center for Social Development
- HOPE LINKS for DEVELOPMENT
- Hope Makers
- House of Citizenship Organization
- Hurras Network
- Ishtar Development Organization
- Jana Watan
- Jozour Syria Civil Society Organization
- Justice and sustainable development
- Justice-paths
- Kesh Malek
- Khutwa association
- Kurdish Human Rights Committee – Observer
- Kurdish International Committee for Human Rights
- LACU
- Lawyers and Doctors for human rights
- Local Development and Small-Projects Support (LDSPS)
- Mihad
- Mnemonic – Syrian Archive
- Multka Alnhren Organization
- Nawras development organization
- Pioneers of peace
- Pro-justice organization
- Quality for Research and Development QRD
- Rising for freedom
- Safe land
- Sanabel Al Furat Development Organization
- Sawaeed Organization for Development
- SEMA
- Sphere organization for Studies and Development S.S.D
- Syria Faith initiative
- Syrian American Council (SAC)
- Syrian British Consortium
- Syrian center for legal studies and research
- Syrıan Expatriate Medical ASSOCCIATION
- Syrian feminist society
- Syrian Forum
- Syrian Lawyers Aggrigation
- Syrian Swedish Democratic Forum SSDF-Syrisk-Svenska Demokratiförbundet
- Syrians Gathered
- Taafi initiative
- Tara organization
- TASTAKEL
- Tayif Humanitarian Organization
- The Day After
- The Lebanese Center for Human Rights (CLDH)
- The Syrian Center for Media and Freedom of Expression (SCM)
- The Syrian Legal Development Programme
- The Syrian Swedish Association
- Togther For Aljarnyia
- Tree of Life organization
- Union of Revolutionary Bureaus ( URB)
- Union of syrian coordinations around the world
- Vision organization
- Women For Peace
- Women Now for Development
- Women’s Organization for Transitional Justice
- Zahrat alfurat Organization
- Zameen for development and peace-building
- جمعية الأصدقاء للاغاثة والتنمية.
- جمعية ماري للثقافة والفنون والبيئة.
- مركز الدفاع عن الحريات .
- مركز الماسة للدراسات والأبحاث والاستشارات والتحكيم والتدريب .
- منظمة سارا لمناهضة العنف ضد المراة.
- منظمة معا نبني الوطن .
