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Syrian authorities have issued an arrest warrant for the country’s long-time president Bashar al-Assad, more than nine months after his ouster, a judge said on Saturday.<\/p>\n
Al-Assad, who governed Syria for more than two decades, fled to Russia in December after an Islamist-led rebel alliance advanced on the capital Damascus.<\/p>\n
An arrest warrant in absentia was issued for al-Assad on charges of premeditated murder and torture leading to death, Syria’s state news agency SANA quoted investigative judge in Damascus, Tawfiq al-Ali, as saying on Saturday.<\/p>\n
The charges are related to a 2011 crackdown by al-Assad’s forces in the southern city of Daraa.<\/p>\n
In 2011, a pro-democracy peaceful uprising erupted against al-Assad’s rule, demanding political change.<\/p>\n
However, his government responded with brutal oppression. The situation soon evolved into a full-blown conflict that resulted in hundreds of thousands of deaths and massive devastation.<\/p>\n
Hundreds of thousands more ended up in prison, subjected to torture or disappearance, according to rights advocates.<\/p>\n
“The judicial decision opens the door to circulating the notice through Interpol [International Police] and pursuing the case internationally,” Judge al-Ali said.<\/p>\n
He added that the step comes in response to a lawsuit filed by the victims’ families. Daraa is deemed the cradle of the anti-Assad uprising.<\/p>\n
Syrian media reported that the Ministry of Justice issued the warrant on Thursday on charges that also included an assault intended to incite civil war.<\/p>\n
Since al-Assad’s fall, Syria’s new leadership has sought to project a moderate image and respect for human rights, as they seek international economic support to rebuild the country devastated by more than a decade of strife.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n