French court issues arrest warrant for Bashar al-Assad

A French court has issued international arrest warrants for former Syrian President Bashar Assad and six former senior figures in his entourage.

France24 reported that this is related to the investigation into the bombing of the Syrian city of Homs in February 2012. The attack killed 56-year-old American journalist Marie Colvin (The Sunday Times) and 28-year-old French photographer Remi Ochlik. The French government considers it a crime against humanity.

In addition to Bashar Assad, the warrants were also issued to his brother, Maher Assad, who commanded the 4th Armored Division, former intelligence chief Ali Mamluk, and former army chief of staff Ali Ayub. Bashar Assad came to power in 2000 after the death of his father, Hafez Assad. He was overthrown in December 2024, and fled the country with his family, seeking asylum in Russia.