In a major development regarding the prosecution of former regime officials, the Syrian judiciary has sentenced Ahmad Badr al-Din Hassoun, the country’s former Grand Mufti, to life imprisonment.
Kabul 24: According to the official Syrian Arab News Agency (SANA), this heavy ruling follows convictions on multiple key charges, including “inciting sectarian strife” and “widespread abuse of religious authority and influence” during Bashar al-Assad’s rule.
Hassoun served for over 16 years as the head of Syria’s highest official Islamic authority. Throughout his tenure, he was widely recognized as one of the closest figures to the core leadership in Damascus, frequently appearing alongside Assad at religious ceremonies and state events.
His sermons and political positions during the Syrian conflict repeatedly drew sharp criticism and public controversy.
This verdict holds historic significance for several reasons. First, Hassoun is the tenth high-profile figure linked to the former regime to be convicted by the Syrian judiciary since the new government took power.
Second, this sentence marks the first formal conviction of a prominent cleric and senior religious authority among the ongoing trials targeting figures associated with the previous administration.
The prosecution of Hassoun and his subsequent life sentence reflect an expanding scope in Syria’s judicial proceedings—targeting not only military and security personnel, but also the key figures who provided ideological and religious legitimacy to the former regime.
With this ruling, the legal case against one of the most influential yet contentious religious figures of Syria’s past decade comes to a close, marking a decisive turning point in the country’s transitional justice process.
