Damascus, Aug. 24 (SANA) The Fourth Criminal Court in Damascus sentenced Ahmad Badr al-Din Hassoun, ousted regime’s mufti, to life imprisonment Monday and ordered the confiscation of his movable and immovable assets after convicting him of war crimes and crimes against humanity committed against the Syrian people.
The verdict was issued during the sixth session of the trial, chaired by Judge Fakhr al-Din al-Aryan and attended by members of the National Commission for Transitional Justice and representatives of international legal and humanitarian organizations.
Court outlines context and religious cover
Al-Aryan said the case was examined against the background of events beginning in 2011, when peaceful demonstrations demanding reform were met by security and military forces using live ammunition and lethal weapons. He said civilians were subjected to widespread killings, torture, sexual violence, looting, property destruction, forced displacement and enforced disappearance.
The court found that the official religious establishment, headed by the office of the mufti, had been used to provide religious cover for military and security operations and justify them publicly, including the use of barrel bombs against populated areas.
It also established that Hassoun received money and gifts in exchange for intervening to secure the release of civilians detained by security agencies of the ousted regime.
Financial support and incitement
The court found that Hassoun regularly provided financial support to the leadership and members of Liwa al-Quds, an armed formation involved in military operations during which serious violations against civilians were committed.
Al-Aryan said the support was not merely social or charitable but strengthened the group’s ability to continue its military activity. The court also cited Hassoun’s public support for Russian and Iranian intervention in Syria and statements encouraging force and violence against specific groups.
The court said the established facts were based on aiding, abetting and moral support, particularly public statements that constituted an effective contribution to war crimes and crimes against humanity.
Sentences and fines
Under the verdict, Hassoun was sentenced to life imprisonment for an offense aimed at inciting civil war and sectarian fighting, 20 years for incitement to intentional killing, 10 years for principal participation in intentional killing and three years for abuse of office.
He was also sentenced to six months for provoking sectarian and racial tensions, fined 1,000 Syrian pounds and deprived of civil rights. For abuse of office, the court imposed a fine equal to three times the value of what he received, amounting to $195,000.
The court merged the custodial sentences and ordered enforcement of the most severe penalty, life imprisonment, while combining the fines.
It also ruled that Hassoun may not benefit from general or special amnesty, conditional release or suspension of his sentence because the acts established against him constitute war crimes and crimes against humanity.
Compensation and witness protection
The court ordered compensation for plaintiffs whose claims were accepted and preserved the rights of other victims and families of victims and missing persons to pursue claims before competent courts.
It also converted the precautionary seizure of Hassoun’s assets into enforceable seizure before confiscation for the public treasury after civil obligations are met. Witness-protection measures imposed during the trial will remain in force. The identities of protected witnesses are to be kept in a sealed confidential court file, while publication of information revealing their identities or locations is prohibited.
The prosecution retained the right to pursue other officials, contributors and accomplices not covered by the current case whenever sufficient evidence becomes available.
Part of transitional justice process
Hassoun’s trial began on June 25 as part of Syria’s transitional justice process to hold those involved in crimes against the Syrian people during the ousted regime accountable.
On August 18, the Fourth Criminal Court sentenced Waseem al-Assad to death and ordered the confiscation of his assets after convicting him of crimes against humanity and war crimes.
On August 11, it also sentenced Atif Najib to death in person and issued death sentences in absentia against Bashar al-Assad, Maher al-Assad and five other fugitives after convicting them of murder, torture, deprivation of liberty, crimes against humanity and war crimes.
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