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Syria's Former Grand Mufti Sentenced to Life in Prison
Confirmed
In Short: Former grand mufti Ahmad Badreddin Hassoun was convicted of inciting violence and justifying killings during Syria's civil war and sentenced to life in prison.
A former Islamic religious leader, Ahmad Badreddin Hassoun, was sentenced to life in prison in the latest Syrian court trial of officials affiliated with the rule of ex-President Bashar Assad.
Hassoun, who held the position of mufti from 2005 to 2021, was convicted of inciting violence and justifying killings, among other charges.
The court found that Hassoun and the official religious institution he headed were used to provide religious cover for military and security operations during Assad's rule, and his teachings justified the use of barrel bombs targeting civilian areas.
Judge Fakhr al-Din al-Aryan stated that Hassoun's teachings violated international humanitarian law, and the court barred him from any general or special amnesty due to the gravity of his crimes.
What's confirmed
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- DAMASCUS, Syria (AP) — A former Islamic religious leader was sentenced to life in prison Monday in the latest Syrian court trial of officials affiliated with the rule of ex-President Bashar Assad.
- Former grand mufti Ahmad Badreddine Hassoun, an Assad loyalist who was vocally in support of the government’s policies, was convicted of inciting violence and justifying murder.
- He held the position of mufti from 2005 to 2021, when the position was abolished.
- Mass anti-government protests erupted in Syria in 2011 and were met by a brutal government crackdown, spiraling into a nearly 14-year civil war that left about half a million people dead and displaced more than half…
- The Fourth Criminal Court in Damascus issued the ruling on Monday, finding Hassoun guilty of a range of crimes, including inciting violence, justifying killings and the abuse of his office.
- The court handed Hassoun several prison sentences for various charges, including 20 years after being found guilty of inciting killings.
- The judge also sentenced him to 10 years in prison after being found guilty of prolonging the killings.
- Judge Fakhr al-Din al-Aryan said that Hassoun and the official religious institution he headed were used to provide religious cover for military and security operations during al-Assad’s rule.