Ahmad Hassoun sentenced to life in prison by Syrian court

Ahmad Hassoun Syrian civil war transitional justice war crimes Grand Mufti

A Syrian criminal court in Damascus has sentenced Ahmad Badreddine Hassoun, the former Grand Mufti under the ousted Bashar al-Assad regime, to life imprisonment. The Fourth Criminal Court found Hassoun guilty of multiple charges, including inciting sectarian violence, justifying murder, and inciting civil war and sectarian conflict.

The court ruled that Hassoun used his religious position and the official religious establishment to provide religious cover for military and security operations. This included justifying the use of barrel bombs against civilian areas, which the court identified as a violation of international humanitarian law. Additionally, Hassoun was found to have provided periodic financial support to the Jerusalem Brigade (Liwa al-Quds) and received money and gifts in exchange for intervening to release civilian detainees held by the former regime.

Hassoun, who served as Grand Mufti from 2005 to 2021, was convicted of war crimes and crimes against humanity. The court also ordered the seizure and confiscation of all his movable and immovable assets for the state treasury. The verdict includes a prohibition on Hassoun benefiting from any general or special amnesty, conditional release, or suspension of the sentence. This trial is part of a broader transitional justice process in Syria aimed at holding senior figures from the Assad era accountable for human rights violations.

Entities

Ahmad Badreddine Hassoun · Ahmad Hassoun · Ahmed Hassoun · Al-Quds Brigade · Bashar al-Assad · Damascus · Dar al-Ifta · Fakhreddine al-Aryan · Fourth Criminal Court · Fourth Criminal Court in Damascus

Claims

What the coverage asserts, and how many sources carry each claim.

[● 5 SOURCES] Hassoun is barred from benefiting from any general or special amnesty due to the severity of his crimes. ch23.com · www.babnet.net · www.abyan-time.net · golan-media.com · www.syrianow.net
[● 10 SOURCES] The court ordered the seizure and confiscation of Hassoun’s movable and immovable assets. www.babnet.net · ch23.com · www.sadanews.ps · fimotro.gr · golan-media.com · +5 more
[● 5 SOURCES] Hassoun provided financial support to the Jerusalem Division (Liwa al-Quds) involved in military operations. ch23.com · www.babnet.net · golan-media.com · www.alaraby.co.uk · www.turkgun.com
[● 19 SOURCES] Ahmad Hassoun was convicted of inciting violence and justifying murder. ch23.com · s.alwakeelnews.com · www.babnet.net · wtop.com · www.sadanews.ps · +14 more
[● 8 SOURCES] The court found that the religious establishment provided religious cover for military and security operations during the Assad era. ch23.com · www.babnet.net · wtop.com · golan-media.com · www.alaraby.co.uk · +3 more
[● 5 SOURCES] Hassoun accepted money and gifts to facilitate the release of civilian detainees held by the former regime. www.babnet.net · golan-media.com · www.syrianow.net · s.alwakeelnews.com · www.abyan-time.net
[● 6 SOURCES] Hassoun was convicted of war crimes and crimes against humanity. www.babnet.net · ch23.com · golan-media.com · www.alaraby.co.uk · www.abyan-time.net · +1 more
[● 18 SOURCES] Ahmad Badreddine Hassoun was sentenced to life in prison. ch23.com · www.sadanews.ps · fimotro.gr · www.babnet.net · wtop.com · +13 more