\n A Damascus court has sentenced ousted President Bashar al-Assad to death in absentia [Getty]<\/p>\n
Syria\u2019s Justice Ministry<\/a>\u00a0has formed a committee to work with Interpol to pursue former regime officials abroad, an effort that could widen Damascus\u2019s search for figures accused of crimes under Bashar al-Assad<\/a> but faces significant legal and political obstacles.<\/p>\n Deputy Justice Minister Mustafa al-Qassem announced the committee on Wednesday, telling\u00a0Al-Ikhbariyah TV that it would coordinate international efforts to extradite suspects, pursue crimes linked to transitional justice and recover Syrian funds allegedly taken abroad.<\/p>\n He said greater cooperation with foreign governments could help Syria bring back suspects who fled the country and face prosecution at home.<\/p>\n The announcement came a day after a Damascus criminal court sentenced several former officials to death in absentia<\/a>, including Assad and his brother Maher. The former president fled to Russia after his government was overthrown in December 2024.<\/p>\n But Damascus\u2019s ability to bring former officials back to Syria will depend far less on Interpol itself than on the governments now hosting them.<\/p>\n Syrian human rights lawyer Anwar al-Bunni told The New Arab that extradition could not take place simply because Damascus requested it.<\/p>\n \u201cExtradition does not simply happen because a country asks for a suspect to be handed over. There must be a proper legal process, and in some cases agreements between the countries concerned,\u201d al-Bunni said.<\/p>\n \u201cYou need a complete case file containing the charges, evidence and other relevant material so that the authorities can establish that this is a genuine criminal case and not a politically motivated prosecution or a case related to someone\u2019s opinions.\u201d<\/p>\n What Interpol can do<\/p>\n Interpol can help locate suspects and circulate requests for their detention, but it cannot order an arrest or force a country to extradite someone.<\/p>\n As an Interpol member, Syria can seek a Red Notice, an international request asking police forces to locate and provisionally arrest a wanted person while extradition proceedings are considered.<\/p>\n Such requests generally require a domestic arrest warrant or judicial decision, along with information identifying the suspect and detailing the alleged crimes.<\/p>\n But a Red Notice is not an international arrest warrant. Governments remain free to decide whether to act on one according to their own laws and international obligations.<\/p>\n Al-Bunni said Syrian authorities would first have to assemble the relevant case material before seeking international action.<\/p>\n \u201cThe file has to go through the relevant authorities and then to Interpol,\u201d he told The New Arab. \u201cInterpol will examine the case and, if it meets its requirements, it can issue a Red Notice requesting that the person be located and provisionally arrested.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cIt is not a case of saying, \u2018I want this person returned because he is a criminal,\u2019 and Interpol simply acting on that request,\u201d he added. \u201cIt is a much more complicated process, with a number of conditions that have to be met.\u201d<\/p>\n Even an arrest would be only the beginning.<\/p>\n Extradition proceedings can involve courts, government ministries and lengthy appeals. Authorities in the country receiving Syria\u2019s request could scrutinise the evidence against the suspect, the fairness of the Syrian proceedings and whether extradition would expose the person to treatment prohibited under domestic or international law.<\/p>\n That could make the pursuit of some of the most prominent former officials particularly difficult.<\/p>\n Assad, for example, has been granted asylum in Russia, which is unlikely to surrender him to Damascus regardless of whether Syria seeks Interpol assistance.<\/p>\n