Former Syrian Mufti Sentenced to Life Imprisonment by Damascus Court

According to the International Desk of Webangah News Agency, the Damascus Criminal Court has sentenced the former Mufti of Syria, Ahmad Hassoun, to life imprisonment. The court held Hassoun responsible for contributing to the outbreak of civil and sectarian war, as well as committing crimes against humanity and war crimes.

This development follows other recent verdicts from Syrian criminal courts. Just days prior, the court sentenced Wissam al-Assad, a cousin of former President Bashar al-Assad, to death for forming armed groups and engaging in mass killings. Previously, Bashar al-Assad himself was sentenced to death by the Damascus Criminal Court on charges of premeditated murder. Maher al-Assad, Bashar al-Assad’s brother, also received a death sentence for similar accusations. Additionally, Atef Najib, the head of the Political Security Directorate in Daraa during Bashar al-Assad’s rule, was sentenced to death for murder and torture of prisoners.

The Damascus Criminal Court has also issued international arrest warrants for Bashar and Maher al-Assad. These legal proceedings occur in the context of significant political shifts in Syria. Syrian armed opposition groups launched an offensive on November 27, 2024, aimed at ousting Bashar al-Assad from power. Eleven days later, on December 8, 2024, they announced their control over Damascus and Bashar al-Assad’s departure from the country. Following these events, Bashar al-Assad reportedly left Syria for Moscow.

Earlier, Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov stated that Moscow would refrain from commenting on the matter of Bashar al-Assad’s extradition, asserting, “We will not comment on the Assad issue at all.”