Syria court sentences Assad-era grand mufti to life in prison
Ahmed Hassoun was convicted of crimes including inciting civil war and complicity in intentional killing.
Syria's Fourth Criminal Court in Damascus has handed down a life sentence to Ahmed Hassoun, the nation's former grand mufti, after finding him guilty of charges including inciting civil war and complicity in intentional killing. Hassoun, 77, served as the top Muslim cleric from 2005 to 2021, during the presidency of the now-deposed Bashar al-Assad.
According to the state news agency Sana, the court determined that the official religious establishment under Hassoun's leadership was exploited to "provide cover" for the regime's military and security operations throughout the 13-year conflict. This included justifying the deployment of barrel bombs. Hassoun, who denied all accusations, is the tenth figure from the Assad era to be sentenced by Syria's transitional authorities.
Earlier this month, Assad himself, who fled to Russia two years ago after being overthrown by rebel forces, was sentenced to death in absentia by the same court for war crimes and crimes against humanity.
Judge Fakhr al-Din al-Aryan explained that Hassoun's case was evaluated in the context of events that began in 2011, when the regime violently suppressed a peaceful pro-democracy uprising against Assad. This crackdown ignited a devastating civil war that resulted in over 600,000 deaths and displaced 12 million people.
Sana reported that the court concluded the official religious establishment, led by the mufti's office, was used to "provide religious cover for military and security operations and justify them publicly, including the use of barrel bombs against populated areas." Barrel bombs are large cylindrical containers filled with explosives. One monitoring group estimates that regime aircraft dropped nearly 82,000 barrel bombs on rebel-held areas between 2012 and 2021, killing more than 11,000 civilians.
Prosecutors accused Hassoun of inciting violence against civilians and publicly supporting the regime through religious lectures, public meetings, statements, and media interviews. They cited a 2015 interview with Syrian TV during the battle of Aleppo, where Hassoun urged civilians to evacuate the rebel-held eastern part of the city and declared that "every area from which a shell is fired should be completely destroyed."
The court also found that the former grand mufti had "received money and gifts in exchange for intervening to secure the release of civilians detained by security agencies," and regularly provided financial support to Liwa al-Quds, a pro-regime militia, as per Sana. Hassoun countered in court that video clips were taken out of context and that he had attempted to protect people from the regime.
Judge Aryan sentenced Hassoun to life imprisonment for inciting civil war and sectarian strife. He also received a 20-year sentence for incitement to intentional killing, 10 years for principal participation in intentional killing, and three years for abuse of office.
On August 11, Assad, his brother Maher, and seven other former senior regime figures were convicted of crimes against humanity and sentenced to death by the same court. The only defendant tried in person was Atef Najib, Assad's cousin and former head of the Political Security intelligence agency in Deraa. Wassim Assad, another cousin and commander of a pro-regime militia, was sentenced to death in person the following week after being convicted of crimes including murder.
These trials have offered some measure of justice to Syrians, many of whom were frustrated by the lack of accountability for civil war crimes. However, human rights activists have called for greater transparency regarding how the verdicts were reached.
In a separate development on Monday, the United States announced it had rescinded Syria's designation as a State Sponsor of Terrorism after 47 years, fulfilling President Donald Trump's promise of sanctions relief. Interim President Ahmed al-Sharaa's Islamist group, Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), was also removed from the list of Specially Designated Global Terrorist organizations. HTS, formerly al-Nusra Front, was al-Qaeda's affiliate in Syria until Sharaa severed ties in 2016. In late 2024, HTS led the rebel offensive that overthrew Assad and now dominates Sharaa's transitional administration.
Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent stated, "Today's action will help foster additional investment in Syria to promote political and economic stability." Last year, the US revoked HTS's designation as a Foreign Terrorist Organisation and removed Sharaa from its list of Specially Designated Global Terrorists.