The Fourth Criminal Court in the Syrian capital Damascus sentenced Ahmed Hassoun, the ousted regime's grand mufti, to life imprisonment on Monday, after convicting him of "inciting civil war and sectarian strife."
The head of the court, Judge Fakhr al-Din al-Aryan, stated that investigations proved Hassoun's "involvement in crimes against humanity and war crimes," adding that the court also ordered the confiscation of all his assets for the benefit of the public treasury.
In March 2025, Syrian authorities arrested Hassoun as he attempted to leave the country, based on an arrest warrant issued against him.
Following the Assad regime's overthrow in December 2024, a transitional administration led by President Ahmad al-Sharaa took office in Syria in January 2025.
The new authorities established accountability and transitional justice mechanisms to investigate crimes committed under the former government.
