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. During his trial, Judge Fakhr al-Din al-Aryan stated that evidence demonstrated Hassoun's involvement in crimes related to the conflict. The court convicted him of acts intended to incite civil war and sectarian fighting, resulting in the life sentence. He also received additional prison terms ranging from three to 20 years for charges including incitement to intentional homicide, complicity in intentional killing, and inciting sectarian and racial hatred. The court ordered the confiscation of his assets for the benefit of the state.

According to the proceedings, Hassoun used his religious...