French court to decide whether Assad can be stripped of immunity and tried for chemical weapons use

France’s highest court will rule on Friday whether former Syrian President Bashar al- Assad can be stripped of head-of-state immunity, a decision that could clear the way for his trial in absentia over alleged chemical weapons attacks, Euronews writes.

If the ruling is made, it would set a legal precedent for prosecuting sitting or former leaders accused of atrocities.

Al-Assad is facing a trial before France’s Cour de Cassation in absentia over the use of chemical weapons in Ghouta in 2013 and Douma in 2018. The former Syrian president, however, denies the accusation.