Former Mufti gets life sentence: Ahmad Hassoun convicted of Assad-era crimes

Former Syrian Grand Mufti Sheikh Ahmed Hassoun has been sentenced to life in prison by a court in Damascus after being found guilty of incitement to premeditated murder, incitement to civil war and other charges classified as war crimes and crimes against humanity. Hassoun, who was appointed Grand Mufti by former Syrian President Bashar al-Assad in 2005, was known for his vocal support of the Assad regime and its methods. Prosecutors said he delivered sermons to regime soldiers ahead of military campaigns and supported Russian and Iranian interventions in Syria. His defence argued that his statements had been taken out of context and that he had remained in his position to mitigate harm. Defence witnesses also said he helped secure the release of people from Assad-era prisons. Prosecution witnesses, however, accused Hassoun and his son of taking money and gold in exchange for helping people secure the release of relatives from detention. The case is one of several transitional justice trials being held in Damascus. Hassoun's lawyers have the possibility of appealing the verdict. Al Jazeera’s Heidi Pett reports from Damascus. Subscribe to our channel: http://bit.ly/AJSubscribe Follow us on X : https://twitter.com/AJEnglish Find us on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/aljazeera Check our website: http://www.aljazeera.com/ Check out our Instagram page: https://www.instagram.com/aljazeeraenglish/ Download AJE Mobile App: https://aje.news/AJEMobile #Syria #AhmadHassoun #AhmedHassoun #BasharAlAssad #AssadRegime #SyrianWar #SyriaWar #WarCrimes #SyrianJustice #SyriaNews #AlJazeeraEnglish