This article is from: srnnews.com
Syrian Court Sentences Assad-Era Grand Mufti Ahmad Hassoun to Life in Prison
By Rizik Alabi / The Media Line
[DAMASCUS] The Fourth Criminal Court in Damascus on Monday, August 24, sentenced Ahmad Badreddin Hassoun, Syria’s former grand mufti under Bashar Assad, to life imprisonment after convicting him on charges related to war crimes, crimes against humanity, incitement,
and supporting armed groups during the Syrian war.
The court also ordered the seizure of Hassoun’s movable and immovable assets and their confiscation for the state treasury, and barred him from benefiting from any general or special amnesty, citing the gravity of the crimes for which he was convicted.
The verdict came during the sixth hearing in Hassoun’s trial and fell short of the prosecution’s request. At an earlier hearing on August 6, prosecutors had sought the maximum legal penalty—the death sentence—based on what they described as evidence and established
facts contained in the case file.
According to details announced during the sentencing hearing, the court convicted Hassoun of the felony of acts leading to civil war and sectarian strife, as well as involvement in crimes against humanity and war crimes. He was also convicted of providing regular
financial support to militias during military operations.
The case is particularly significant because the court addressed not only Hassoun’s individual responsibility but also the role of Syria’s official religious establishment during Assad’s rule.
Judge Fakhr al-Din al-Aryan said during the sentencing hearing that evidence examined by the court showed that the official religious establishment, particularly the office of the grand mufti, had been used under the former regime to provide religious cover
for military and security operations and justify them before the public.
The judge added that this role included justifying the use of barrel bombs that targeted civilian areas and caused widespread destruction, describing such actions as violations of international humanitarian law.
During previous hearings, Hassoun faced accusations of using inflammatory rhetoric and urging military officers and soldiers to confront opponents of the regime, as well as making public statements related to military operations against areas then controlled
by the opposition.
The indictment also addressed Hassoun’s public support for prominent military figures from the former regime, as well as his backing for Russian and Iranian intervention in Syria during the war.
Syrian authorities arrested Hassoun in March 2025 while he was attempting to leave the country, pursuant to an arrest warrant issued by the public prosecution. His trial before the Fourth Criminal Court began in June.
The ruling comes amid a series of trials in recent weeks involving prominent figures associated with the former regime, including former military and security officials and members of the Assad family.
Hassoun’s case, however, opens a different dimension in Syria’s accountability process. The judicial focus is expanding beyond those accused of directly carrying out military and security operations to figures alleged to have helped provide religious and political
justification for them.
Fadel Abdul Ghany, executive director of the Syrian Network for Human Rights, told The Media Line that the ruling represents an important step in Syria’s accountability process because the case raises questions about the role of religious and official institutions
in supporting abuses and inciting violence.
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