Published on 4/25/2026
Yesterday, Friday, the French judiciary in Paris charged a 34-year-old Syrian with complicity in committing crimes against humanity in Syria, against the backdrop of accusations related to acts he is suspected of committing within the ranks of the army of ousted President Bashar al-Assad, who is wanted by three international arrest warrants.
The National Anti-Terrorism Prosecution Office said that the accused, who has resided in France for years and is in pretrial detention, faces charges that include premeditated assault on life, arrest or any form of gross deprivation of liberty, acts of torture, enforced disappearance, and other inhumane acts, committed in Syria between March 2011 and December 2015.
The prosecution explained that it cooperated within the framework of the investigation with European judicial authorities, United Nations investigative mechanisms, and Syrian and international non-governmental organizations.
Charges and investigation
Last December, the French judiciary brought charges of crimes against humanity against another person suspected of belonging to a Syrian intelligence service, who is believed to have run a detention center in which acts of torture were practiced.
The National Anti-Terrorism Prosecution had opened a preliminary investigation on charges of crimes against humanity in Syria between 2010 and 2013, the period in which peaceful protests broke out, which were forcefully suppressed in 2011, during the era of ousted President Bashar al-Assad.
The French judiciary had previously issued three arrest warrants against Al-Assad himself on charges of complicity in committing crimes against humanity and war crimes, against the backdrop of the bombing of civilian areas in Daraa in 2017, a press center in Homs in 2012, and chemical attacks in Daraa, Douma, and Eastern Ghouta in 2013.
In a related context, the Syrian Ministry of Interior announced, on Friday, the arrest of the first accused of committing the Tadamon massacre in Damascus in 2013, Amjad Youssef.
The Ministry explained on its Telegram channel that monitoring and tracking operations continued for several days before the implementation in Al-Ghab Plain, stressing the continued pursuit of the remaining perpetrators of the massacre, to arrest them and bring them to justice.
Syrian Interior Minister Anas Khattab said in a post on his account on the “X” platform: “The criminal Amjad Youssef, the first accused of committing the Tadamon massacre, is in our control after a tight security operation.”
Bashar al-Assad took refuge with his family in Russia after Islamic opposition factions overthrew his regime at the end of 2024.
