Human Rights Groups Want Justice for Syrian Chemical Attacks

 

Syrian and international human rights organizations came together last week and issued a joint statement urging the French government to continue investigating war crimes in Syria. The 39 groups, including Amnesty International and the Syrian Center for Media and Freedom of Expression, specifically called on France to further pursue legal action against Syrian President Bashar Al-Assad regarding the 2013 chemical weapons attack in Ghouta that killed over 1,000 civilians.

The statement praised France’s 2021 launch of an investigation into the Ghouta attacks after NGOs filed a criminal complaint. French judges found sufficient evidence in November 2023 to issue international arrest warrants for Al-Assad, his brother Maher who leads an elite military unit, and two senior Syrian generals.

However, the joint statement criticized the surprising move in December by France’s National Anti-Terror Prosecutor to challenge the validity of Al-Assad’s arrest warrant. The prosecutors argued the Syrian leader has immunity from foreign prosecution as a head of state. The human rights groups firmly rejected this stance, stating that under international law, personal immunity for sitting leaders accused of war crimes and crimes against humanity is weakening.

“Recent decades have seen a reduction in state immunities under international law to prevent impunity for international crimes,” the statement noted. “It is now time to also challenge the immunity of the current head of state for international crimes.”

The groups contend France’s position contradicts its role as a leader of the International Partnership Against Impunity for Use of Chemical Weapons. They urged France to reaffirm its commitment to holding perpetrators accountable for chemical attacks, which violate international laws and rules. “The international community and UN Security Council have repeatedly demanded that all perpetrators must be held accountable,” citing the declaration. “France should send a clear message: the use of chemical weapons is forbidden, and all perpetrators will face justice.”