France, July 29 -- New legal proceedings have been set in motion against Syria's former president Bashar al-Assad, after France's top court cleared the way for prosecution now that he no longer holds office.

French prosecutors have asked magistrates to issue a new arrest warrant for Syria's former president Bashar al-Assad over a deadly 2013 chemical attack, following the annulment of a previous warrant due to presidential immunity.

The move comes after France's top court, the Court of Cassation, last Friday quashed a 2023 warrant targeting Assad while he was still in power. The court ruled that heads of state are protected by personal immunity - even in cases involving alleged war crimes or crimes against humanity.

However, the court'...