Since most flu vaccines are made using virus grown in eggs, it could take up to six months to produce pandemic shots
world10 hours ago
An arrest warrant issued for Syrian President Bashar Al Assad over the use of banned chemical weapons against civilians was upheld by a Paris court on Wednesday, one of the lawyers who lodged the initial case said.
The warrant issued by French judges in November 2023 refers to charges of complicity in crimes against humanity and complicity in war crimes, followed a French investigation into chemical attacks in Douma and the district of Eastern Ghouta in August 2013, attacks which killed more than 1,000 people.
Prosecutors, who would be responsible for asking the police to enact the warrant, had challenged its validity, arguing that, as a sitting head of state, Assad was immune from trial and prosecution in France.
"Today is a very special day and this is a historic victory, not only for the Syrian victims, but for all the victims around the world," said Mazen Darwish, head of the Syrian Center for Media & Freedom of the Press.
"The court’s decision confirms what we have always said – that when the issue concerns crimes against humanity, war crimes, and the use of chemical weapons, immunity should never be relied upon."
Assad's government has denied using chemical weapons against its opponents in the civil war, which broke out in March 2011. Syrian authorities did not immediately reply to a request for comment on Wednesday's Court of Appeal ruling.
Arrest warrants for sitting heads of state are rare because they generally have immunity from prosecution.
However, international law has exceptions to that immunity when a head of state is accused of war crimes and crimes against humanity or genocide. France is among the countries that allows the filing of crimes against humanity cases in its courts.
"This decision makes clear that international rules on immunity cannot be synonymous with impunity, particularly for the most serious international crimes," Steve Kostas, senior legal officer at Open Society Justice initiative, said in reaction to the verdict.
Since most flu vaccines are made using virus grown in eggs, it could take up to six months to produce pandemic shots
world10 hours ago
Despite preventive measures such as collecting passports, obtaining affidavits, assigning cabin crew over the age of 50 on Canada flights, the airline has failed to foil such incidents
world1 day ago
Violations of the Digital Services Act can result in fines of as much as 6% of a company's global turnover.
world3 days ago
Country has made significant progress in improving its anti-money laundering and counter-terrorism financing regime, the Paris-based body said
world3 days ago
The war and Israel's blockade have caused a shortage of medicines and destroyed much of Gaza's medical capacity
world4 days ago
Prolonged heatwave causes health crisis in India as more than100 dead and 40,000 heatstroke cases registered
world4 days ago
More than 300 people have perished on the mountain since expeditions started in the 1920s, eight this season alone
world4 days ago
Griffiths spoke as witnesses reported intense fighting in Gaza's southern city of Rafah, amid growing fears of a wider regional war
world5 days ago