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French court issues new arrest warrant for ex-Syrian president Assad — media

The warrant was issued at the request of France's National Anti-Terrorism Prosecutor's Office, which investigated the death of 59-year-old Franco-Syrian national Salah Abou Nabout

PARIS, January 21. /TASS/. Investigative judges in France have issued a new arrest warrant for former Syrian President Bashar Assad, accusing him of complicity in the bombing of civilian targets in the Arab republic in 2017, Agence France-Presse (AFP) reported.

The warrant was issued at the request of France's National Anti-Terrorism Prosecutor's Office (PNAT), which investigated the death of 59-year-old Franco-Syrian national Salah Abou Nabout. According to the office's findings, he was killed in 2017 when the Syrian army shelled his home in the Daraa Governorate. The prosecutor's office justified its request for the new warrant by stating that Assad no longer has state immunity from legal proceedings.

This is the second arrest warrant issued for the former Syrian leader. The previous warrant stemmed from Assad's alleged role in the use of chemical weapons by Syrian forces. The PNAT attempted to appeal that warrant, citing the former president's immunity from prosecution. The appeal is expected to be reviewed by the French Court of Cassation on March 26. According to AFP, the French judiciary has issued a total of 14 arrest warrants for high-ranking Syrian officials.