Ahmad Badreddin Hassoun, who served as Syria’s grand mufti from 2005 to 2021, was sentenced to life imprisonment by the Fourth Criminal Court in Damascus on Monday. The court found him guilty of multiple charges including inciting violence, justifying killings, and abuse of office during Syria’s prolonged conflict. Hassoun was arrested at Damascus airport in March 2025 after emerging from hiding the previous month, with his trial commencing on June 25.
Judge Fakhr al-Din al-Aryan issued multiple concurrent sentences, including a life term for crimes that incited hatred and contributed to the country’s deterioration. Hassoun also received a 20-year sentence for inciting killings and a 10-year sentence for prolonging killings. The court determined that Hassoun and the religious institution he led were instrumental in providing theological justification for military and security operations conducted under al-Assad’s regime, including the use of barrel bombs targeting civilian areas. The judge noted this violated international humanitarian law.
The court found that Hassoun actively encouraged Syrian military personnel through religious lectures to oppose the country’s opposition groups and made public appeals for civilian evacuations in eastern Aleppo. He also called for military destruction of areas from which opposition fire originated and threatened Idlib residents with killing and displacement. The verdict bars Hassoun from any general or special amnesty due to the severity of his convictions. Additionally, the state will confiscate his money and properties for the public treasury, and Hassoun must provide compensation to victims.
The sentencing represents a significant development in Syria’s post-2024 transitional justice proceedings. While death sentences have been issued to former President al-Assad and other regime officials, Hassoun’s conviction marks the first trial of a prominent Sunni religious figure. Observers note he retains some popular support within Syria, with supporters maintaining his statements were misrepresented, while critics have advocated for harsher penalties.
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