The Facts
The Paris Criminal Court on Friday sentenced three former senior Syrian intelligence officials in absentia to life imprisonment after finding them guilty of crimes against humanity and war crimes during a four-day trial.
Ali Mamlouk, Jamil Hassan, and Abdel Salam Mahmoud have been charged with complicity in the arrest, torture, and death of Patrick Dabbagh and his father, Mazzen — two French nationals of Syrian origin — in Damascus.
The Spin
The verdict highlights France’s ability to prosecute perpetrators of crimes against humanity, war crimes, and genocide regardless of their nationality. Even if it remains largely symbolic, the judgment would set a legal precedent to hold Assad accountable and refocus international attention on atrocities unleashed on his opponents.
Though the verdict is cathartic for plaintiffs, it will not immediately result in justice for its victims or perpetrators' arrest because accountability for atrocities committed in Syria has been fleeting. Rather than prosecute Syrian war criminals in their own courts, world leaders, including US Pres. Joe Biden, have been busy reconciling with the Syrian dictator.
