France on Wednesday accused Syrian President Bashar al-Assad’s regime of committing crimes against humanity and expressed hope that Russia would soon join sanctions against its old regional ally. “The Syrian regime has committed crimes against humanity,” French Foreign Minister Alain Juppe said during talks with his Russian counterpart Sergei Lavrov. “The way it (the Syrian regime) suppressed the popular protests is unacceptable,” France’s top diplomat said after a round of Moscow meetings that included talks with President Dmitry Medvedev.