French judges have issued arrest warrants for Syria's President Bashar al-Assad, his brother Maher al-Assad, and two other senior officials over the use of banned chemical weapons against civilians in Syria, a judicial source said on Wednesday.
But this warrant is kind of a way of saying “don’t visit.” Public shaming like this is actually fairly meaningful to an iron fist dictator who can’t afford for his authority to be challenged.
Why do they do this? We know it’s hollow. He could land in France right now and he’s not getting arrested or hindered.
Trial in absentia is a thing in most countries including France.
Right, but nobody actually believes that he’d be arrested or held. It’s all talk. They would never arrest the president of another country
Correct, that’s actually illegal and casus belli.
But this warrant is kind of a way of saying “don’t visit.” Public shaming like this is actually fairly meaningful to an iron fist dictator who can’t afford for his authority to be challenged.
It’s show. But show is a thing.
Correct, it’s just saying they’re really upset.