The Court of Cassation confirmed the universal jurisdiction of French justice to prosecute foreign perpetrators of crimes against humanity and war crimes committed outside France. The Court had heard appeals from two Syrians: one filed by Abdulhamid Chaban, a former soldier arrested in France and indicted for complicity in war crimes.
The other was filed by Majdi Nema, former spokesperson for the Syrian rebel group Jaysh al-Islam (Army of Islam), prosecuted for torture and war Crimes. Syria does not recognize these crimes and has not ratified the Rome Statute that created the International Criminal Court.