A Syrian court has opened the trial of former Grand Mufti Ahmad Hassoun on charges of issuing fatwas that authorised the killing of Syrians during the popular uprising against Bashar al Assad’s regime.
The Fourth Criminal Court in Damascus launched proceedings against Hassoun on Thursday, who served as Syria’s top religious authority under Assad until the regime’s fall in December 2024, Syria’s state news agency SANA reported.
The session was attended by the republic’s public prosecutor, Judge Hassan al-Turba, alongside representatives of local and international human rights organisations, the report said.
Hassoun faces charges of complicity in war crimes and crimes against humanity, incitement to murder and other offences.
Syrian authorities arrested him in March 2025 as he attempted to flee the country under an existing arrest warrant.
A staunch supporter of the Assad regime, Hassoun was known for public statements backing the use of force against opposition groups.
