Syria Seeks Extradition of Assad and Senior Officials via Interpol
The Syrian Ministry of Justice has established a committee to pursue the extradition of senior Assad regime officials who fled the country. The committee will coordinate with Interpol following the death sentences handed down by the local judiciary.
The Syrian Ministry of Justice announced this week the establishment of a committee tasked with the extradition of senior Assad regime officials who fled Syria. The committee's role is to coordinate with Interpol (the International Criminal Police Organization) to secure their return. This follows the sentencing of Assad and other high-ranking officials to death by the local judicial system.
The trials were conducted in absentia. According to local media, the objective is to ensure that once these officials are extradited, they will be executed immediately. Reports indicate that cheers erupted in the courtroom and courthouse corridors immediately following the verdict.
Amnesty International, an organization opposed to human rights violations, criticized the new Syrian regime's approach:
"For the government to truly turn a new page from the horrors of the past, it must cancel the trials held in absentia and abolish the use of the death penalty. In addition, they must carry out comprehensive judicial reform to ensure that all legal proceedings fully respect the guarantees of a fair trial, international law, and international standards."
The Ministry stated that the trials were conducted before a competent civil criminal court by qualified judges, with the participation of victims' representatives, in accordance with legal procedures and international human rights law.
While the whereabouts of most former regime officials remain unknown, it is confirmed that ousted president Bashar Assad is in Moscow under the protection of President Vladimir Putin. Al-Julani, the new Syrian leader, attempted to convince Vladimir Putin to extradite Assad but was met with a refusal.
Meanwhile, Arab media have mocked Assad's situation with political cartoons. One depicts Assad inside a birdcage, with Vladimir Putin acting as his "owner":
"Your turn has come, doctor! Choose: hanged in Damascus? Or poisoned in Moscow?" Vladimir Putin asks in the drawing. Assad is depicted responding: "I am under your protection, oh Abu-Ali Putin! Poison me, but do not extradite me!"
