French judicial authorities requested Lebanon’s cooperation in locating and arresting senior members of the former Assad regime accused of war crimes and crimes against humanity. The move, part of an expanding French campaign to pursue justice for atrocities committed during Syria’s 14-year war, marks a new step in holding ex-officials accountable abroad.
Judicial Request Targets Former Assad Officers
According to Asharq Al-Awsat, Lebanon’s Attorney General of Cassation, Judge Jamal Hajjar, received an official judicial request from France demanding the arrest of three high-ranking former Assad security officials if they are found on Lebanese territory. The list includes Maj. Gen. Jamil Hassan, the former head of Air Force Intelligence; Maj. Gen. Ali Mamlouk, director of the National Security Bureau; and Maj. Gen. Abdulsalam Mahmoud, head of investigations for Air Force Intelligence.
The French request, issued through a formal judicial commission, seeks the men’s extradition to France, where prosecutors have charged them in absentia with war crimes and crimes against humanity. French investigators accuse them of overseeing torture and extrajudicial killings, including the deaths of three French citizens of Syrian origin while in detention at Air Force Intelligence facilities.
A Lebanese judicial source confirmed to Al-Anbaa newspaper that Judge Hajjar instructed Lebanon’s Internal Security Forces to determine whether the men are present in the country and to monitor legal and illegal crossings for their movements.
France’s Expanding Accountability Effort
The arrests would build on previous French judicial action targeting top figures from the former Assad government. In October 2024, French courts issued international arrest warrants for ousted Syrian dictator Bashar al-Assad in connection with the 2013 chemical attacks, citing complicity in crimes against humanity.
French judicial authorities have opened multiple investigations since 2018 into senior Syrian officials residing in Europe. These cases stem largely from complaints filed by Syrian refugees and human rights groups, including the Paris-based Sherpa and the International Federation for Human Rights (FIDH), which have documented widespread torture and forced disappearances under Assad’s rule.
Lebanese media reported that French investigators also included in their file Lebanese phone numbers allegedly linked to the wanted officers, suggesting ongoing communication between them and associates inside Lebanon. Lebanese authorities have not yet confirmed any arrests or sightings.
War Crimes Trials Extend to French Companies
The judicial offensive comes as France prepares for the trial of the cement company Lafarge, accused of financing terrorism in Syria. Beginning next week in Paris, the proceedings will examine allegations that the firm’s Syrian subsidiary paid millions of euros to the ISIS and Jabhat al-Nusra between 2013 and 2014 to keep its operations running in northern Syria.
The French prosecution said the case underscores “corporate complicity in the Syrian conflict,” as Lafarge faces charges of financing terrorism and violating international sanctions. The company, now part of the Swiss Holcim group, could face fines exceeding one billion euros if convicted.
Pursuing Justice Beyond Borders
Analysts view these parallel cases as part of a broader French effort to establish universal jurisdiction for atrocities committed in Syria. While Lebanon has not confirmed whether it will act on the French judicial request, human rights advocates say cooperation between the two countries could signal renewed momentum for international justice. “The message is that impunity for war crimes is no longer guaranteed, regardless of where the perpetrators hide,” said a French legal expert familiar with the investigation.
