Ahmad Hassoun, Assad’s ‘barrel bomb mufti’, faces Damascus court verdict

What the report says

Al Jazeera reports that a Damascus criminal court is due to announce a verdict on Monday in the case of Ahmad Badreddin Hassoun, Syria’s former grand mufti under Bashar al-Assad. Prosecutors are seeking the death penalty. Hassoun’s trial, held before the Fourth Criminal Court in Damascus, began on June 25 and is part of Syria’s transitional justice process after the collapse of the Assad government in December 2024.

According to the article, Hassoun was detained at Damascus airport in March 2025 after spending a period in hiding. He served as grand mufti from 2005 to 2021 and was once seen as close to the regime’s inner circle. Al Jazeera says he became a prominent loyalist during the 2011 uprising, backing Assad publicly and using harsh language against opponents. Critics later dubbed him the “barrel-bomb mufti” because of his support for the government during the conflict.

The report says the charges against Hassoun include incitement and giving religious and political legitimacy to the Assad state and allied forces. Prosecutors also allege ties to senior officials and claims that he encouraged violence against opposition areas and civilians. Al Jazeera notes that evidence presented in court includes alleged links to former intelligence and military figures.

The case matters because it is one of several prominent proceedings in post-Assad Syria and may signal how the new authorities handle alleged abuses tied to the former leadership. As a general background point, Syria’s transitional courts have recently examined other high-profile figures connected to the old regime, including members of the Assad family.