French court issues arrest warrant for Assad over journalists' deaths in Syria

French authorities issued arrest warrants for Assad and six former Syrian officials for war crimes and crimes against humanity tied to a 2012 Homs bombardment. The attack killed journalists Marie Colvin and Rémi Ochlik, targeting an informal press center. Wounded included Paul Conroy, Edith Bouvier, and Wael Omar.

The warrants name Maher al-Assad, de facto head of the 4th Syrian armored division, intelligence chief Ali Mamlouk, and army chief of staff Ali Ayoub. “The investigation clearly established that the attack … was part of the Syrian regime's explicit intention to target foreign journalists,” said Mazen Darwish, director of the Syrian Center for Media and Freedom of Expression.

Assad, ousted in 2024, fled to Russia. The International Federation for Human Rights stated the journalists entered Homs to “document the crimes committed by Bashar al-Assad's regime.” The attack aimed to suppress media coverage of regime atrocities. “The issuing of the seven arrest warrants is a decisive step,” said lawyer Clémence Bectarte.