French Foreign Minister Colonna said Syrian President al-Assad should be put on trial after "hundreds of deaths" and "the use of chemical weapons" in the civil war.
When asked in a television interview on May 23 whether she wanted to bring Syrian President Bashar al-Assad to trial, French Foreign Minister Catherine Colonna said, "The answer is yes." She further emphasized that "the fight against crime, against impunity, is part of French foreign policy."
Syrian President Bashar al-Assad attends a meeting in Damascus in 2020. Photo: AFP
The comments come amid warming relations between Syria and regional countries after more than a decade of tension. Assad traveled to Saudi Arabia on May 18th to attend the Arab League summit, 12 years after Syria's membership was suspended by the organization.
However, Colonna said Paris would not change its policy toward the Syrian leader. "We must remember who Bashar al-Assad is. He has been a leader opposed to his own people for more than 10 years," the French Foreign Minister said.
She further emphasized that the European Union (EU) certainly has no plans to lift sanctions against the Syrian government.
"As long as he doesn't change, doesn't commit to reconciliation, to fighting terrorism, to fighting drugs, and doesn't fulfill his commitments, there's no reason for us to change our attitude towards him," Colonna said. "I think he needs to change, not France changing its attitude."
Several governments and international organizations have accused the Assad regime of using chemical weapons against civilians. In January, the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons said that the Syrian air force dropped containers of toxic gas in Douma in 2018, then one of the last opposition strongholds near the capital, killing 43 people. Damascus has repeatedly denied the chemical weapons allegations.
Twelve years ago, the Arab League suspended Syria's membership in protest against its handling of domestic protests. These protests subsequently escalated into a civil war that continues to this day, claiming more than 500,000 lives and displacing millions. Earlier this month, the Arab League readmitted Syria, ending its policy of isolation against President Assad.
Countries in the region once wanted to overthrow President Assad, but gradually shifted their stance as he remained in power and regained lost territory with crucial support from Russia and Iran. The United Arab Emirates (UAE) re-established relations with Syria in 2018 and has recently been leading efforts to reintegrate Damascus into the region.
Diplomatic activity between countries and Damascus increased after the earthquakes in Syria and Türkiye in February, prompting many to provide humanitarian aid to the country.
However, not all countries in the region were quick to mend relations with the Assad regime. Qatar stated that it would not normalize relations with Syria until a solution to the crisis was found.
The US also strongly opposes the Arab League's readmission of Syria. "We do not believe that Syria deserves readmission to the Arab League at this time. We will not normalize relations with the Assad regime, nor do we support our allies and partners doing so," US State Department Secretary Vedant Patel stated on May 8th.
Huyen Le (According to AFP )
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