A Damascus court has issued an arrest warrant in absentia for ousted President Bashar al-Assad, implicating him in human rights abuses during the government’s 2011 crackdown in Daraa, state media reported on Saturday. Investigating Judge Tawfiq al-Ali, overseeing the case, said the warrant names Assad as a defendant in charges including premeditated murder, torture resulting in death, and unlawful deprivation of liberty tied to events of November 23, 2011.
The legal action followed a complaint filed by families of victims from Daraa, where the anti-regime protests first erupted in Syria’s uprising and were met with severe suppression by security forces. Judge al-Ali noted the decision opens the path to circulation of the warrant via Interpol and international cooperation in attempting to enforce it.
This development comes more than nine months after Assad’s ouster, when opposition and rebel forces backed by Turkey took control of Damascus, driving the former leader into exile. Under the transitional government led by Ahmad al-Sharaa, Syrian authorities have begun judicial steps aimed at accountability for actions of the prior regime.
Still, the arrest warrant’s practical impact remains uncertain. Assad is believed to be living in Russia, and enforcement will depend heavily on the willingness of states to cooperate, the operation of Interpol, and legal barriers such as immunity or non-extradition policies.
