Syrian Criminal Court Sentences Former Mufti of the Regime to Life Imprisonment and Confiscates His Assets
The Fourth Criminal Court in Damascus handed down a life imprisonment sentence to former Grand Mufti Ahmad Hassoun and ordered the confiscation of his movable and immovable assets, after convicting him of crimes against humanity and war crimes committed against the Syrian people during the regime of Bashar al-Assad. The verdict was delivered during the sixth session of the trial, which was dedicated to deliberation and sentencing. The session was presided over by Judge Fakhreddine Al-Aryan and attended by several members of the National Authority for Transitional Justice, as well as representatives of international legal and humanitarian organizations, according to the official Syrian Arab News Agency (SANA).
At the outset of the session, Judge Al-Aryan stated that evidence indicated the official religious establishment, headed by the Dar al-Ifta, was exploited during the ousted regime to provide religious cover for military and security operations and to justify them to public opinion. He noted that this institution justified the use of explosive barrels targeting civilian areas, causing widespread destruction, in violation of the rules of international humanitarian law.
Judge Al-Aryan clarified that the defendant provided regular financial support to the leadership and members of the Al-Quds Brigade, which participated in military operations, and affirmed that his involvement in crimes against humanity and war crimes had been proven.
He added that the court had criminalized Hassoun’s actions as a felony that contributed to civil war and sectarian conflict, sentencing him to life imprisonment and ordering the seizure and confiscation of his movable and immovable assets for the benefit of the public treasury.
The first session of Hassoun’s trial was held on June 25 last year, where he faced multiple charges, including using his position as Mufti of the Republic for personal gain, and making media statements that incited violence against civilians in rebel-held areas and refugees fleeing the regime’s brutality, particularly in eastern Aleppo and Idlib. These statements also included calls for the former regime’s army to destroy these areas. The charges also included his public endorsement, in his official and symbolic capacity as Mufti of the Republic, of officers and figures implicated in war crimes against the Syrian people.
