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Syrian Justice Minister Mazhar al-Weis denied widespread online rumors that former Grand Mufti Ahmad Badr al-Din Hassoun faces a death sentence, saying the cleric remains in judicial custody and that his case is still under legal review.
In recent days, a wave of rumors circulated on social media claiming that Syrian authorities were preparing to carry out the death penalty against Hassoun, widely referred to by many Syrians as “Assad’s Mufti.”
Hassoun, the former grand mufti under Bashar al-Assad, was known for his support of the Syrian regime and his constant attacks on refugees and opposition groups.
It is worth noting that the Syrian Ministry of Justice had previously denied reports claiming that death sentences had been issued against Mufti Hassoun and several other officials from the Assad era.
Syrian authorities had detained him last March.
He repeatedly incited the killing and extermination of rebels in Aleppo through barrel bomb attacks, leading opponents of the regime to label him “the Mufti of Barrel Bombs.”
However, Weis confirmed that the former regime mufti is currently in judicial custody.
He told Al Arabiya that his case file had been transferred from the Ministry of Interior to the investigating judge, noting that the judge has already begun the legal procedures.
He added that “if the judge concludes that Hassoun is charged with crimes punishable under the law, he will issue a decision and refer the case to the indictment judge. But if he is cleared, he will be released.”
Regarding the death penalty, he stressed that such a matter is extremely serious and requires a public trial and formal procedures, emphasizing that the circulating claims are merely rumors aimed at stirring unrest and undermining the independence of the judiciary.
He continued, saying that “the Ministry of Justice has repeatedly responded to these rumors, but they eventually turned into a broken record, so the ministry no longer pays attention to them,” as he put it.
As for his health condition, he clarified that Hassoun is in good health and is being monitored inside the prison, just like all other inmates, and is receiving full medical care.
At the time, Syrians widely circulated the news, noting that such measures signaled a proper path toward transitional justice and the legal accountability of former regime figures and perpetrators of crimes, following investigation and due process.
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