Afghanistan, Aug. 25 -- A Syrian court has sentenced former Grand Mufti Ahmad Badreddine Hassoun to life in prison after finding him guilty of crimes including inciting civil and sectarian violence, justifying killings and abusing his official position during the rule of former President Bashar al-Assad.
The Fourth Criminal Court in Damascus issued the verdict on Monday, in the latest prosecution of senior figures associated with the Assad government. The court also ordered the confiscation of Hassoun's movable and immovable assets for the state treasury.
Judge Fakhr al-Din al-Aryan said the court found that Syria's official religious establishment, including the office of the grand mufti, had been used during Assad's rule to provide reli...