France issues arrest warrants for Syrian President Assad, 3 generals alleging involvement in war crimes By — 6–7 minutes
PARIS (AP) — French judicial authorities issued international arrest warrants for Syrian President Bashar Assad, his brother and two army generals for alleged complicity in war crimes and crimes against humanity, lawyers for Syrian victims said Wednesday. They include a 2013 chemical attack on rebel-held Damascus suburbs.
A victim of the attack welcomed the move as a reminder of the horrors of Syria’s civil war, and urged countries where Assad might travel to arrest him. While he is unlikely to face trial in France, international warrants for a serving world leader are very rare, and send a strong message about Assad’s leadership at a time when some countries have welcomed him back into the diplomatic fold.
In addition to President Assad, the arrest warrants were issued for his brother, Maher Assad, the commander of the 4th Armored Division, and two Syrian army generals, Ghassan Abbas and Bassam al-Hassan, the lawyers said.
There was no immediate comment from the Syrian government on the warrants.
Jeanne Sulzer and Clemence Witt, lawyers at the Paris Bar who represent the plaintiffs, and non-governmental organizations behind the complaint, hailed the decision.
brooklyn13, Can you imagine a courtroom lawyer in defense of his client saying, " Where i ask you are all the other bank robbers, kidnappers, child abusers and wife-beaters who are running free out there!", to a jury. Can you imagine that. Now imagine the looks on jury members faces as they look at each other.
" Great! Now look at the list of outstanding ICC warrants and let us know where on the list is Assad (the son) or Xi or Khameini, for that matter. https://www.icc-cpi.int/defendants?page=0 Mostly, though, Israel bad. You know I think Netanyahu belongs in jail, but the ICC is a joke. W Bush on the list for Iraq? Get real please, one can find shite on the internets to support any sort of nonsense https://theflatearthsociety.org/home/"
Imagine the look on the face of reporters, other lawyers and, lol, on the face of the judge. Amazement, much?
Your continued reliance on whataboutisms in defence of Israel is moronic. Your comment above is imbecilic.
Surely you must have read criticisms of the ICC before now. The most common one is the accusation of African bias, clear also from your link above. How many Western leaders have been prosecuted, critics have said for years. In the article you replied to, it said this request for arrest warrants was historic in that it was the first for the arrest of a country leader supported by the West. You mentioned W Bush for Iraq. Yep, he is one of the Western leaders most often mentioned. Surely you have read that before. You are absolutely right on that singular point.
However, on balance though, on any humanity or big picture understanding scales you continue to fail miserably.
There are quite a few on the ICC on the board. One recent January, 2024:
What value a law when the law is ignored. "They pick on the helpless and rail against Hamas. At what point do we call them out for what they are?" The criminal atrocity is clear: United Nations Prevention of Genocide and Related Atrocity Crimes Responsibility to Protect Definitions -- Genocide .. Crimes Against Humanity .. War Crimes .. Ethnic Cleansing Crimes Against Humanity [...] Believe it or not, the three first world powers – United States, Russia, and China – aren’t part of the ICC, each for its own particular reasons. These absences have been a very common topic since the creation of this intergovernmental organization twenty years ago, and until this day it’s quite often spoken among politicians, journalists, analysts and diplomats.
Other notable absences are Israel, Qatar, Iraq, and Libya; some of them with a very turbulent past (and present) and with a few not-very-good things in common.
But let’s start with some basics about the ICC.
What’s the purpose of the ICC? To prosecute anyone responsible for war crimes, genocide, and crimes against humanity. The main scenario in which this court acts is whenever a government with or without a judicial system .. https://nomadcapitalist.com/global-citizen/best-countries-rule-of-law/ .. is unwilling or unable to prosecute criminals in their countries.
Unlike other organizations, like the International Court of Justice, the ICC .. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/International_Court_of_Justice .. can prosecute individuals and that’s probably one of the key points for which some big nations like the United States, China and Russia aren’t a part of this treaty.
The common complainsand bad comments about international organizations originate due to their lack of concrete and successful actions and the ICC is no exception. Their first verdict came 10 years after the Rome Statute entered into force .. https://www.worldatlas.com/articles/what-is-the-rome-statute.html . In 2012, Thomas Lubanga, leader of a militia in Congo, was convicted because of his war crimes, mainly for the use of children in his ranks. After this event, the actions of the ICC centered in Africa and currently the organization is being accused by some nations of alleged African bias. Although, it’s important to remember that their involvement in African issues have been referred, in some cases, by the UN or even self-referred by a member state, which was the case with Uganda and the conflicts with the LRA. https://investorshub.advfn.com/boards/read_msg.aspx?message_id=173561680
One further on the ignorance displayed in your post:
20 years of international criminal justice against the most horrific crimes
17.07.2022 Strategic Communications
As the only permanent international criminal court with a universal scope, the International Criminal Court (ICC) plays a key role in the fight against impunity for the perpetrators of war crimes, crimes against humanity and genocide International Criminal Court
During its 20 years of existence, the ICC has, among other achievements, sentenced individuals who were found guilty of sexual violence, illegal recruitment of child soldiers and destruction of cultural heritage. It has proved to be a key instrument in fighting against impunity, ensuring fair trials and providing justice to victims, and preventing and deterring future crimes. On the Day of International Criminal Justice, the European Union reaffirms its commitment to protect the judicial independence of the ICC and the integrity of the Rome Statute, while standing firm against any attempt to discredit the Court and obstruct its work.
“As the world’s first and only permanent international criminal court, the International Criminal Court plays a crucial role in a shared rules-based global order and in advancing the fight against impunity for international crimes. Despite this crucial role, its work and independence continue to be frequently challenged”, reads the Declaration issued by the HR/VP Josep Borrell on behalf of the EU to mark the date.
July 1 marked the 20th anniversary of the International Criminal Court (ICC). On this day in 2002, the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court entered into force upon ratification by 60 States, officially creating the ICC. To date, 124 countries from all regions have ratified it.
Currently, the ICC is investigating abuses committed in 17 countries, in particular, Ukraine, Darfur and Libya. Ukraine was the latest situation to join the list, after the ICC Prosecutor announced on February 28 that he would open an investigation based on the Office's earlier conclusions arising from its preliminary examination. In early March, the Office received a joint referral from more than 40 countries referring to alleged crimes committed in Ukraine. The Office of the Prosecutor has established a dedicated portal through which anyone who may have information relevant to the Ukraine situation can contact ICC investigators.
20 years in figures
* 31 cases have been brought before the ICC, some of them involving more than one suspect. * ICC judges have issued 37 arrest warrants. * Thanks to cooperation from States, 21 people have been detained in the ICC detention centre and have appeared before the Court. * 12 people remain at large. Charges have been dropped against 3 people due to their deaths. ICC judges have also issued 9 summonses to appear, 10 convictions and 4 acquittals.
Conference and exhibition to mark the ICC’s 20th anniversary
On 1 July, the ICC hosted a conference at the World Forum in The Hague (The Netherlands), entitled “The ICC at 20: Reflections on the past, present and future .. https://www.icc-cpi.int/news/conference-mark-iccs-20th-anniversary-1-july-2022 .” The event allowed for in-depth discussions on the different aspects of the Court’s concrete operations, from the earliest reports of alleged crimes to final judgments and the reparation of victims. It was also an occasion for reflections on the extent to which the ICC has met expectations, as well as on the main trends to be discerned for the further development of the international criminal justice system going forward.
Also on the 20th anniversary, the ICC launched, in collaboration with the Trust Fund for Victims and Fondation Carmignac, an exhibition on display at the UN Headquarters in New York from 27 June to 29 July 2022. After New York, it will be publicly exhibited in The Hague, Geneva, and several of the countries with situations under investigation, as part of the ongoing activities for the Court’s 20th anniversary.
The ICC exhibition, with selected photographs from the Court’s “Life after Conflict” series .. https://www.icc-cpi.int/life-after-conflict , comprises stories as told to ICC outreach by survivors of some of the world’s worst crimes. The photographs, by award-winning photographers Rena Effendi, Pete Muller and Finbarr O’Reilly, cover stories from five countries in which the ICC investigates, all at different stages of the ICC process. Photographs from the Democratic Republic of the Congo are the first ever public stories of ICC reparations beneficiaries, showing the full circle of the justice process from the start of investigations to the end of ICC cases, including reparations to victims.
No international tribunal since Nuremberg has made an effort to go after a top Western official. This is historic.
PS: On waking again this morning, late, while watching news i thought .. seeing all this is horrible enough, how bad it must be for those involved is incomprehensible. Then i thought how bad it must be for people like you who find yourself defending the monstrosity. Your doubts and fears must be more difficult to bear than those of us who disagree vehemently with you. Seriously, i had that thought this morning before rising into the cold. I felt pity for you too.
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