‘Barrel bomb mufti’ Ahmad Hassoun handed life sentence in Syria trial

Ahmad Badreddin Hassoun, a top Muslim religious official during ousted Syrian President Bashar al-Assad's rule, has been sentenced to life in prison for crimes committed during the country's almost 14-year war.

What happened

In practice, the Fourth Criminal Court in Damascus issued the ruling on Monday, finding Hassoun guilty of a range of crimes, including inciting violence, justifying killings and the abuse of his office.

After he emerged from hiding a month earlier, hassoun, who was Syria's grand mufti between 2005 and 2021, was arrested at Damascus airport in March 2025. His trial began on June 25.

The bottom line

For now, 'Barrel bomb mufti' Ahmad Hassoun handed life sentence in Syria trial remains the part of the story worth watching, and further updates are likely as more details are confirmed.