SNHR Welcomes the French Judiciary’s Issuance of An Arrest Warrant For Bashar Assad Over the Murder of French National Salah Abou Nabbout

SNHR Supported the Investigation by Providing Evidence and Data, And Confirmed the Assad Regime’s Use of About 82,000 Barrel Bombs

The Hague – Syrian Network for Human Rights:

On January 21, 2025, French examining magistrates with the Paris Criminal Court’s ‘crimes against humanity’ unit issued an international arrest warrant for the deposed Syrian President Bashar Assad. This decision was taken in response to a request from the French National Anti-Terrorism Prosecutor’s Office, which accused Assad of complicity in a war crime. The charge is related to the death of French-Syrian citizen Salah Abou Nabbout (aged 63) on June 7, 2017. Abou Nabbout was killed in an airstrike that destroyed his home in the Tareeq al-Sadd neighborhood of Daraa city, which was being used as a school operated by a humanitarian organization at the time. The attack was carried out using barrel bombs dropped by Assad regime helicopters.

This warrant was issued following a judicial investigation that was initiated in response to a complaint filed by Omar Abou Nabbout, the son of the victim, Salah Abou Nabbout. Commenting on the warrant, Omar said:

“This case represents the culmination of a long journey toward justice that my family and I have believed in from the start. We are particularly pleased that the prosecutor and investigating judge have responded to our demands, as well as those of the Syrian victims. We hope that there will eventually be a trial and that those responsible will be arrested and prosecuted, wherever they may be. Our case is part of Syria’s transitional justice process and aims to prevent war criminals from escaping accountability. Holding Bashar Assad accountable in court will bring immense hope to all Syrian victims.”

Case background

The case began in 2017 when Omar Abou Nabbout, Salah’s son, filed a complaint with the French judiciary on behalf of his father. Omar prepared and followed up on the case, leading to the French investigative judges opening a comprehensive investigation.

On October 18, 2023, the investigative judges from the French Criminal Court’s ‘war crimes’ unit issued four international arrest warrants against senior officials of the Assad regime. The charges centered on complicity in and perpetration of war crimes, specifically targeting civilians and civilian infrastructure not considered military objectives, using barrel bombs.

The officers named in the warrants include

• Lieutenant General Fahed Jassem al-Fraij, who was the Minister of Defense, Deputy Commander-in-Chief of the Military and Armed Forces, and Deputy Prime Minister at the time of the attack;
• Lieutenant General Ali Abdallah Ayoub, who was Commander of the General Staff at the time of the attack (the General Staff is the highest-ranking operational body which issues and coordinates military orders and operations carried out by the Military and Armed Forces). In 2018, Ayoub was appointed as a Minister of Defense until he was relieved of this post in April 2022;
• Brigadier General Ahmad Balloul, who was the Commander of the Air Force at the time of the attack, and;
• Brigadier General Ali Safetli, who was the Commander of the 64th Helicopter Brigade at the Balli Military Airbase at the time of the attack

Bashar Assad’s responsibility for this crime

As president and commander-in-chief of the Syrian Armed Forces at the time of the crime on June 7, 2017, Bashar Assad bears direct responsibility for the series of crimes committed by his forces. Under international humanitarian law, a commander is liable for crimes committed under their command if they were aware of the crimes and took no steps to prevent them or hold the perpetrators accountable.

The attack that killed Salah Abou Nabbout through the use of barrel bombs was part of a systematic policy by the Assad regime to target civilians and civilian infrastructure. This deliberate targeting is classified as a crime against humanity and a war crime.

Following the fall of Bashar Assad’s regime on December 8, 2024, he lost the presidential and/or personal immunity that had previously protected him from prosecution. Investigations conducted by the Paris Criminal Court’s ‘crimes against humanity’ unit confirmed Assad’s direct involvement in the crime, paving the way for the issuance of an international arrest warrant against him.

• The principle of universal jurisdiction allows national courts to prosecute individuals accused of serious crimes, such as war crimes and crimes against humanity, regardless of where they were committed or the nationality of the accused.
• The loss of Assad’s immunity following his ousting opens the door to his prosecution in foreign courts, in line with international law, which respects state sovereignty but does not grant immunity to perpetrators of grave violations.

SNHR’s role in supporting the Abou Nabbout case investigation

The Syrian Network for Human Rights (SNHR) played a pivotal role in supporting the French judicial investigation into the killing of Salah Abou Nabbout. Since the incident, SNHR has coordinated with Omar Abou Nabbout and provided critical information and evidence that supported the case in the following ways:

1. Documenting the incident

• SNHR documented the barrel bomb attack on June 7, 2017, immediately after it occurred, and published a detailed report on it on July 9, 2017.

2. Providing evidence and witnesses

• SNHR supplied accurate information about the incident, including eyewitness accounts and contextual details on the Assad regime’s use of barrel bombs. Over the years, the organization has documented thousands of barrel bomb incidents, publishing periodic monthly reports. These efforts created a comprehensive database on barrel bombs attacks, which show that the Assad regime dropped approximately 82,000 barrel bombs on locations across Syria.

3. Expert testimony

• At the request of the investigative judge, SNHR Executive Director Fadel Abdulghany testified as an expert on barrel bombs in January 2020. His testimony lasted over two hours, during which he detailed the devastating impact of these weapons on civilians.

Conclusion

SNHR welcomes the French judiciary’s decision, which marks a significant step toward achieving justice for the victims and holding perpetrators of crimes against humanity and war crimes in Syria accountable. SNHR also supports the Abou Nabbout family’s legal quest as part of the broader process of transitional justice in Syria.

The fall of the Assad regime and the subsequent loss of Bashar al-Assad’s immunity open the way for legal proceedings against him in countries that apply the principle of universal jurisdiction. The issuance of an international arrest warrant for Assad signifies that he is now wanted by the French judiciary. This puts pressure on countries bound by international agreements, including INTERPOL member states, to execute the warrant. The decision is expected to restrict Assad’s international movement, isolate him politically, and reduce his chances of evading justice.