On Wednesday, a French court confirmed the apprehension of Syrian government chief Bashar al-Assad, charging him with involvement in a 2013 chemical assault in Eastern Ghouta.
The Paris Court of Appeal denied the National Anti-Terrorism Prosecutor’s Office (PNAT) of France’s request to revoke the warrant on the grounds that Assad is entitled to legal immunity.
“The judges cannot regard the international crimes they are considering to be a part of the official responsibilities of a head of state, as the use of chemical weapons is prohibited by customary international law as a required rule. The court stated in a statement that the arrest warrant is still legitimate since “they can thus be separated from the sovereignty naturally attached to these duties.”