The French Arrest Warrants for Chemical Weapons Attacks in Syria: A Precedent with Key Questions

In an unprecedented development, the French judiciary has issued an international arrest warrants for the chemical weapons attacks performed by the Syrian government (regime) against civilians during the Syria war. The warrants target three top Syrian officials including the Syrian president. 

Here is all you need to know about the first international (non-ICC) arrest warrant of a sitting head of another state for a grave crime against humanity and/or war crime by the Syrian Center for Media and Freedom of Expression (SCM). 

This international precedent is stating that no sovereign impunity for grave crimes against humanity, as clearly indicated by the issuing judiciary, prompts two questions. First, would it be a followed precedent marking a change in the int practice? And the second question, how the following practice will define the initiating grave crimes? 

One explanatory enquiry should follow here is about whether the western powers that practically ignored and neglected a substantial quantity of grave war crimes and crimes against humanity committed by various parties including the Syrian regime (government) throughout the Syrian war are acting or will act only on chemical weapons deployment to actually defend their interests in maintaining their power supremacy rather than the victims rights as this supremacy is endangered by the proliferation of chemical weapons and the tolerance of their usage. 

Only time will have the answers.

Stay tuned to my X (formerly Twitter), Middle East Policy Blog, and NeoInternationalism website.

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