Former grand mufti’s life sentence shows how far Syria will pursue Assad-era religious enablers
CAIRO: The conviction of Syria’s former grand mufti Ahmad Badreddin Hassoun and Washington’s decision to remove a major obstacle to economic engagement came within hours of each other this week, highlighting two central elements of the country’s post-Bashar Assad transition.
On Monday, a court in Damascus sentenced Hassoun to life imprisonment after convicting him of charges including inciting civil war and sectarian strife, incitement to intentional homicide and exploiting his position as the country’s senior Muslim cleric.
The court also ordered the confiscation of his movable and immovable assets and their transfer to the public treasury.
Hassoun, 77, was Syria’s grand mufti from 2005 until 2021, when the government abolished the position. He was closely associated with Assad and frequently appeared alongside the former president at religious and official occasions.
