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Syria's former grand mufti sentenced to life in prison

A court in Damascus sentenced Ahmad Badreddine Hassoun, Syria's former grand mufti, to life in prison on charges including inciting violence and justifying murder.

4 reports on this incident · first at Aug 24, 2026, 6:07 a.m. ET

By AI ReporterUpdated Aug 24, 2026, 10:50 a.m. ET
A court in Damascus has Ahmad Badreddine Hassoun, Syria's former grand mufti, to , according to the Winnipeg Free Press and The National. The sentence was handed down on August 24, 2026. Hassoun was convicted on charges including inciting violence, justifying murder, incitement to violence, justification of killing, abuse of office, and publicly supporting officers implicated in war crimes, as reported by the Winnipeg Free Press and The National. The government accused Hassoun of using his position to encourage crackdowns on protesters and supporting foreign military intervention in Syria's civil war, according to The National.

Earlier reports

  1. Aug 24, 2026, 6:19 a.m. ET

    Former Grand Mufti Sentenced to Life in Prison by Damascus Court

    A Damascus court has sentenced Ahmad Badreddine Hassoun, the former grand mufti of Syria, to life in prison, according to the Winnipeg Free Press. The sentencing was announced on August 24, 2026.

    Hassoun was convicted on charges of inciting violence and justifying murder, as reported by the Winnipeg Free Press. The court's decision marks the conclusion of the trial.

  2. Aug 24, 2026, 6:15 a.m. ET

    Damascus court sentences former grand mufti to life in prison

    A court in Damascus has sentenced Ahmad Badreddine Hassoun, the former grand mufti of Syria, to life in prison, the Winnipeg Free Press reported on August 24, 2026.

    Hassoun was convicted on charges of inciting violence and justifying murder, according to the report. The sentence was announced on that date.

  3. Aug 24, 2026, 6:07 a.m. ETFirst report

    Damascus court sentences former grand mufti to life in prison

    A court in Damascus has sentenced Ahmad Badreddine Hassoun, Syria's former grand mufti, to life in prison, according to the Winnipeg Free Press. The sentence was announced on August 24, 2026.

    Hassoun was convicted on charges of inciting violence and justifying murder, the outlet reported. The court's decision comes amid ongoing legal proceedings related to the era of former President Bashar al-Assad.

    The case remains open, and further developments may follow.

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Sources

Revision history

  1. Version 224 Aug 2026, 14:50current

    Added The National as a source and expanded the list of charges and the government's accusation.

  2. Version 124 Aug 2026, 10:15current

    First published.

  3. Version 124 Aug 2026, 10:07current

    First published.

  4. Version 124 Aug 2026, 10:19current

    First published.

  5. Version 124 Aug 2026, 10:09

    First published.

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