Syrian Court Sentences Former Grand Mufti Ahmed Hassoun to Life in Prison for Inciting Civil War
A Syrian court has sentenced Ahmed Hassoun, the country's former top Muslim cleric, to life in prison for his role in inciting civil war and complicity in intentional killing. The Fourth Criminal Court in Damascus found that Hassoun, who served as grand mufti from 2005 to 2021, used his religious establishment to provide cover for the military operations of the ousted Bashar al-Assad regime. Prosecutors accused Hassoun of justifying the regime's use of barrel bombs and inciting violence against civilians through religious lectures and media interviews. While Hassoun denied some charges, the court ruled that he received money and gifts in exchange for securing the release of detainees and providing financial support to a pro-regime militia. In a separate development, the administration announced that the United States has rescinded its designation of Syria as a State Sponsor of Terrorism, fulfilling a promise made by President Trump to provide sanctions relief. The administration also removed the Islamist group Hayat Tahrir al-Sham from its list of Specially Designated Global Terrorists.