A Syrian man has been placed in pre-trial detention in Paris on suspicion of complicity in crimes against humanity linked to the regime of Bashar al-Assad, French prosecutors said.
The 34-year-old, who had been living in France for several years, is accused of involvement in abuses committed between March 2011 and December 2015 during the early phase of the Syrian civil war. Allegations include unlawful killings, arbitrary detention, torture, enforced disappearances, and other inhumane acts.
According to the National Anti-Terrorism Prosecutor’s Office (PNAT), the case was opened following a referral from French asylum authorities. Such referrals have become increasingly common: by the end of 2024, around 60% of preliminary investigations into crimes against humanity in France had been triggered by alerts from the refugee protection agency.
The suspect was arrested earlier this week and, after being presented before an investigating judge on Friday, was formally charged and remanded in custody.
Investigators from the Office for the Fight against Crimes against Humanity (OCLCH) led the probe, working in coordination with European judicial authorities, UN investigative mechanisms, and international NGOs.
France has stepped up efforts to prosecute crimes committed during the Syrian conflict under the principle of universal jurisdiction, allowing courts to try serious offences regardless of where they occurred.
The case is the latest in a growing number of proceedings targeting individuals who entered Europe during the migration wave and are now suspected of links to wartime abuses under the Assad regime.
