French Court Issues Arrest Warrant for Syrian President Assad Over War Crimes

A French court has issued an international arrest warrant for Syrian leader Bashar al-Assad, along with three others, including his brother Maher, for complicity in war crimes and crimes against humanity related to chemical weapon attacks on civilians. This marks the first time a sitting head of state has been the subject of an arrest warrant in another country for such crimes. The warrants were issued in response to a civil party complaint filed by three organizations. Similar cases have been lodged in courts in Sweden and Germany. The attacks in question occurred in 2013 and almost led to US intervention in the Syrian civil war. The Syrian government has consistently denied responsibility for the attacks.