On November 14, 2023, French criminal investigative judges have issued arrest
warrants for Syria’s President Bashar al-Assad, his brother Major General Maher al-
Assad, de facto leader of the 4th Armored Division, as well as the Director of Branch
450 of the Syrian Scientific Studies and Research Center (SSRC), General Ghassan
Abbas, and Presidential Advisor for Strategic Affairs and liaison officer between the
Presidential Palace and the SSRC, General Bassam al-Hasan on charges of complicity
to use banned chemical weapons against civilians in in the town of Douma and the
district of Eastern Ghouta in 2013, which resulted in the deaths of more than /1,000/
people.
The signatory organizations, non-governmental organizations (NGOs) and victim
associations welcome this unprecedented judicial measure, which is a significant
advancement in the pursuit of justice for the victims of such brutal attacks. The issuance
of these historical warrants is a direct outcome of the bravery of survivors and their
unwavering commitment to justice, as they provided crucial testimonies and information
that paved the way for this momentous decision.
We hope that this landmark judicial decision constitutes a step on the path to justice and
sustainable peace in Syria, and serves as a cornerstone in the fight against impunity
and the prosecution of those highest responsible for war crimes and crimes against
humanity. This would ensure that the law is upheld and respected by preventing
criminals from evading accountability irrespective of any immunity they may enjoy.
The signatory organizations demand:
Taking the necessary executive measures to ensure the implementation of these
warrants and the arrest of suspects to be brought to justice, which would ensure
the effectiveness of the steps taken in these judicial procedures, and oppose any
attempt to use immunities to escape punishment for crimes committed in Syria or
other conflict zones.
Other national judicial authorities to follow the example taken by the French
judiciary, and take similar measures regarding other violations committed in
Syria.
The immediate halt of all normalization processes with the Syrian regime taken
by some governments.
These arrest warrants would not have been issued without the courage of the
survivors of chemical attacks, whose role in supporting the path of justice
deserves all respect and appreciation, so is the step taken by French judges,
which emphasizes the importance of judicial integrity and independence, which
we sought to have in future Syria, hoping that we hold all perpetrators of
violations accountable before Syrian courts in the future.
Civil Organizations and Groups Signatories
1. Access Center for Human Rights (ACHR)
2. Adel Centre For Human rights
3. Al Aseel Association for Developmen
4. Al baghooz Hope for Development
5. Al-Kawakibi Center for Transitional Justice and Human Rights
6. Alseeraj Sweden
7. Amal Alfurat organization
8. Amal Healing and Advocacy Center
9. Anwar Al Ghad Organization
10. Association of Victims of Chemical Weapons
11. Badael
12. Baladn
13. Bassmet Wattan Center
14. Baytna
15. Be free team
16. Better Tomorrow organization
17. Caesar Families Association
18. Center for Civil Society and Democracy, CCSD
19. Center for Extremism Studies
20. Change Makers
21. Civil Center in Atarb
22. Community Solidarity Organization
23. Deirna Organization
24. Diaa Alamal Association
25. Do Not Suffocate The Truth
26. Dozana
27. Ebdaa organization for Development
28. Elaf for reilaf and development
29. Enma Aljazera organization
30. Enmaa
31. Enmaa Alfourat
32. Environment Protection and Sustainable Development Organization
33. Eve Humanitarian Association
34. Families of Truth and Justice
35. Finjan
36. Fraternity Foundation for Human Rights -FFHR
37. Future Makers Team
38. Hajeen organization
39. Haneen.alfurat
40. Hevy for relief and development
41. Holm for Development
42. Hooz Center for Social Development
43. HOPE LINKS for DEVELOPMENT
44. Hope Makers
45. House of Citizenship Organization
46. Hurras Network
47. Ishtar Development Organization
48. Jana Watan
49. Jozour Syria civil Society Organization
50. Justice and sustainable development
51. Justice-paths
52. Kesh Malek
53. Khutwa association
54. Kurdish Human Rights Committee – Observer
55. Kurdish International Committee for Human Rights
56. LACU
57. Lawyers and Doctors for human rights
58. Local Development and Small-Projects Support (LDSPS)
59. Mihad
60. Mnemonic – Syrian Archive
61. Multka Alnhren Organization
62. Nawras development organization
63. Pioneers of peace
64. Pro-justice organization
65. Quality for Research and Development QRD
66. Rising for freedom
67. Safe land
68. Sanabel Al Furat Development Organization
69. Sawaeed Organization for Development
70. SEMA
71. Sphere organization for Studies and Development S.S.D
72. Syria Faith initiative
73. Syrian American Council (SAC)
74. Syrian British Consortium
75. Syrian center for legal studies and research
76. Syrıan Expatriate Medical ASSOCCIATION
77. Syrian feminist society
78. Syrian Forum
79. Syrian Lawyers Aggrigation
80. Syrian Swedish Democratic Forum SSDF-Syrisk-Svenska
Demokratiförbundet
81. Syrians Gathered
82. Taafi initiative
83. Tara organization
84. TASTAKEL
85. Tayif Humanitarian Organization
86. The Day After
87. The Lebanese Center for Human Rights (CLDH)
88. The Syrian Center for Media and Freedom of Expression (SCM)
89. The Syrian Legal Development Programme
90. The Syrian Swedish Assosiation
91. Togther For Aljarnyia
92. Tree of Life organization
93. Union of Revolutionary Bureaus ( URB)
94. Union of syrian coordinations around the world
95. Vision organization
96. Women For Peace
97. Women Now for Development
98. Women’s Organization for Transitional Justice
99. Zahrat alfurat Organization
100. Zameen for development and peace bulding
جمعية الأصدقاء للاغاثة والتنمية . 101
جمعية ماري للثقافة والفنون والبيئة . 102
مركز الدفاع عن الحريات . 103
مركز الماسة للدراسات والأبحاث والاستشارات والتحكيم والتدريب . 104
منظمة سارا لمناهضة العنف ضد المراة . 105
منظمة مع ا نبني الوطن . 106
