Syria’s former Grand Mufti, Ahmad Badreddin Hassoun, has been sentenced to life imprisonment by the Fourth Criminal Court in Damascus for crimes committed during the country’s nearly 14-year war.
Hassoun, who served as Syria’s Grand Mufti from 2005 to 2021, was found guilty of several offences, including inciting violence, justifying killings and abusing his official position. He was a prominent supporter of former President Bashar al-Assad during the Syrian conflict.
He became known by critics as the “Barrel Bomb Mufti” because of his strong support for the Assad government and statements that were seen as justifying the regime’s violent campaign against its opponents. His trial began in Damascus on June 25, 2026.
Hassoun was arrested at Damascus International Airport in March 2025, after the fall of the Assad government in December 2024. Prosecutors had accused him of using his religious authority to provide legitimacy for abuses committed by the former regime and its allies.
The case is part of Syria’s wider transitional justice process, in which former officials and figures associated with the Assad government are being prosecuted over alleged crimes committed during the war.