Syria Sentences Former Grand Mufti to Life Imprisonment

A Damascus court sentenced Syria's former top Muslim cleric, Ahmad Badreddine Hassoun, to life imprisonment on Monday, marking the most significant conviction of a religious figure affiliated with the deposed government of Bashar al-Assad. The verdict was delivered by the Fourth Criminal Court, where Hassoun was found guilty of inciting violence and sectarian strife during the country's civil war. Hassoun, who served as Syria's Grand Mufti from 2005 until the position was abolished in 2021, was arrested at Damascus International Airport in March 2025 while attempting to leave the country.