Syrian court sentences Assad-era grand mufti to life in prison

DAMASCUS — A Syrian court on Monday sentenced Ahmed Hassoun, the country’s grand mufti under ousted leader Bashar Assad, to life imprisonment after convicting him of crimes including inciting sectarian strife and abusing his position.Hassoun, the 10th Assad-era figure to be sentenced under the new authorities, was Syria’s top Muslim cleric for 16 years, known for his close ties to the former president and frequent appearances alongside him on religious occasions.The Fourth Criminal Court in Damascus issued the ruling on Monday, finding Hassoun guilty of a range of crimes, including inciting violence, justifying killings and the abuse of his office.Hassoun, who was Syria’s grand mufti between 2005 and 2021, was arrested at Damascus airport in March 2025, after he emerged from hiding a month earlier. His trial began on June 25.The court handed Hassoun several prison sentences for various charges, including 20 years after being found guilty of inciting killings.The judge also sentenced him to 10 years in prison after being found guilty of prolonging the killings.The court ordered the cleric to pay compensation to make restitution to a number of his victims.Judge Fakhr al-Din al-Aryan said Hassoun and the official religious institution he headed were used to provide religious cover for military and security operations during Assad’s rule.His teachings also justified the use of barrel bombs that targeted civilian areas and caused widespread destruction, which constitutes a violation of the rules of international humanitarian law, the judge said.The court found that Hassoun also urged Syrian military officers and soldiers in his religious lectures to confront the country’s opposition, and made public calls through Syrian media for civilians in eastern Aleppo to evacuate their homes.He also called on the army to “annihilate and destroy” the areas from which shells were launched, threatening the people of Idlib with killing and displacement.The court confirmed that Hassoun is barred from any general or special amnesty, given the gravity of the crimes he was found guilty of committing.His money and properties will also be confiscated by the state for the benefit of the public treasury, the court said.The verdict comes weeks after Bashar al-Assad, his brother Maher and five security officials were sentenced to death in absentia for war crimes and crimes against humanity.Authorities have also handed death sentences to Atif Najib and Wassim al-Assad, cousins of the former ruler who were tried in person.