The Fourth Criminal Court held the third session of the trial of Ahmad Hassoun, accused of committing crimes of incitement to violence and justifying murder during the era of the fallen regime, on Thursday, July 23.

During the session, the prosecution presented its legal memorandum and video clips containing evidence against the defendant, who served as the Mufti of Syria under ousted President Bashar al-Assad and was known as the 'Mufti of the Barrels.' Meanwhile, the defendant's lawyer submitted a defense memorandum and requested a technical examination of the videos presented by the prosecution to verify their integrity and ensure they were free from any manipulation or alteration.

The court panel responded to the defendant's lawyer's request and agreed to conduct a technical examination of the videos, setting Thursday, July 30 as the date for the next session, according to the Syrian state news agency SANA.

The trial of Ahmad Hassoun is part of a judicial process to hold accountable those accused of committing or inciting violations and crimes during the era of the fallen regime.

Christian Blex, a member of the right-wing Alternative for Germany party, and Syria's Mufti Ahmad Badr al-Din Hassoun in Damascus 2018 (X account)

The indictment includes his endorsement of individuals accused of war crimes in Syria, including Issam Zahreddine and Qasem Soleimani, as well as his support for the Russian and Iranian interventions in Syria, despite the violations attributed to their forces and militias against civilians during the war years.

Internal security forces had arrested the former mufti of the regime, Ahmad Hassoun, in March 2025 at Damascus International Airport while he was attempting to leave the country, based on an arrest warrant issued by the public prosecution.

Hassoun's trial session comes a day after the public prosecution called for the maximum penalty against Wasim al-Assad, the cousin of ousted President Bashar al-Assad, demanding the death penalty based on evidence and testimonies proving his responsibility for premeditated murder, drug trafficking and promotion, and attacks on national security and public peace.

The verdict against the defendant Wasim al-Assad is scheduled to be pronounced on the 29th of this month at the Palace of Justice in central Damascus.

"); googletag.cmd.push(function() { onDvtagReady(function () { googletag.display('div-gpt-ad-3341368-4'); }); }); }