Syria Plague and the Nascent Justice Margin between Domestic Affairs and Human Rights Internationalization

In a historic unprecedented case (for a sitting head of state), the Paris Court of Appeal, earlier this month, upheld the Syrian president arrest warrant over the use of chemical weapons in Syria. 

However, the French Public Prosecutor has appealed this decision to the Cassation Court. This move is widely deemed to be morally and legally wrong and disrespectful of victims' rights and the law and justice principles. It is also considered as a political move to protect the perpetrators at the expense of the human rights and the world's committed effort to stop the use of the weapons of mass destruction and the struggle against the crimes against humanity.

This case and its issued arrest warrant of a sitting head of state is a sign that the Syrian plague has contributed to raising awareness of the suffering of peoples at the domestic level and to forming an international consciousness about this sensitive issue formerly deemed a domestic affair. There is a new margin is currently forming that lies between the domestic affair and the human rights Internationalization that may replace the previous hard line between them underpinned by traditional norm of state 'sovereignty'.

Justice is the best occupant for this new margin which is traditionally occupied by national interests and security. The revitalized International justice including the extra-territorial jurisdiction, which crosses the national boundaries in cases of the crimes against humanity will definitely make our world a better place.

In a simple wording, the French judiciary has made a case with a meaning for all authoritarian regimes that they are not licensed to kill their own peoples by default under the protection of sovereignty norm. For now on, there will be at least a check to such mass killing at least for using weapons of mass destruction. This is only a first step to be built on by a vigorous advocacy and relentless work to be extended to cover all crimes against humanity and to surpass the line of national interests of the leading world powers. It will be a long struggle anyway.

This step by the French judiciary is a practical significant milestone in the necessary and much-needed process of the reliable Internationalization of human rights. 


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