Syria Court Sentences Assad-era Grand Mufti to Life in Prison
BBC News reports that a court in Syria has sentenced Ahmed Hassoun, the country's former top Muslim cleric, to life in prison. He was found guilty of various crimes, including inciting civil war and complicity in intentional killing, during his tenure as grand mufti from 2005 to 2021 under ousted president Bashar al-Assad.
According to state news agency Sana, the Fourth Criminal Court in Damascus concluded that Hassoun's religious establishment was used to provide a religious cover for regime military and security operations, including the dropping of barrel bombs.
Hassoun, who denied the charges, is the tenth Assad-era figure to face justice under Syria's transitional authorities. Assad himself was sentenced to death in absentia earlier this month for war crimes and crimes against humanity.
The judge emphasized Hassoun's role during the 2011 peaceful pro-democracy uprising that escalated into a devastating civil war, stating:
"The court found that... [Hassoun's office] had been used to provide religious cover for military and security operations and justify them publicly."
Prosecutors accused Hassoun of inciting violence against civilians and supporting the regime in various public appearances. They cited a statement he made during the battle of Aleppo, urging civilians to leave rebel-held areas and stating that "every area from which a shell is fired should be completely destroyed".
The court also found that Hassoun had received financial benefits for intervening to secure the release of detainees and provided support to a pro-regime militia. He was sentenced to life for inciting civil war, 20 years for incitement to intentional killing, 10 years for principal participation in intentional killing, and three years for abuse of office.