French authorities have officially issued an international arrest warrant for Syrian President Bashar al-Assad. The basis for this was accusations of "complicity in the bombing of civilian targets" in Syria in 2017. The decision was made at the request of the French National Anti-Terrorism Prosecutor's Office, which was investigating the circumstances of the death of dual French-Syrian citizen Salah Abu Nabu.
Abu Nabu, 59, was killed in an airstrike by Syrian helicopters on his home in Daraa province, the prosecutor's office said. The attack came amid intense fighting between Syrian government forces and armed opposition groups. An investigation has concluded that the Syrian military's actions may constitute a violation of international humanitarian law.
French prosecutors have said Bashar al-Assad no longer enjoys state immunity, allowing him to be held accountable in international criminal proceedings.
"This is an unprecedented decision that reflects France's commitment to the principles of international justice and the fight against impunity for war crimes," — the official statement from the prosecutor’s office says.
The arrest warrant for Assad follows years of international efforts to hold Syria's leaders accountable for their actions during the civil war. Since 2011, the conflict in Syria has killed hundreds of thousands of people and caused the region's largest humanitarian crisis.