The trial of the "former regime mufti" Ahmed Hassoun begins in Damascus

The Fourth Criminal Court in Damascus began the first session of the trial of the defendant Ahmed Hassoun, the former Grand Mufti of the Republic during the era of the former Syrian regime, in the presence of the Prosecutor General of the Republic, Judge Hassan Al-Turba, and local and international human rights organizations.

Judge Fakhreddine El-Erian said the hearing was intended to consider the charges against Ahmed Hassoun, which include participation in war crimes, crimes against humanity, incitement to murder and other crimes.

Ahmed Hassoun faces charges related to direct incitement to violence and civil war, issuing speeches and fatwas that legitimized the targeting of civilians, as well as statements in which he threatened to send "suicide bombers" to Western countries, according to an earlier statement by the Transitional Justice Commission.

On Wednesday, June 24, the Fourth Criminal Court in Damascus witnessed the first session of the trial of the defendant Wassim al-Assad, who is involved in several crimes against the Syrian people during the era of the former regime. 

Replacing the death penalty with life imprisonment

Sanctions handed down by Syria's transitional justice courts are based on a combination of the provisions of Syria's general penal code and the principles of international humanitarian law, including the standards contained in the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court.

According to private legal sources to "Syrian News", these punishments focus on achieving deterrence and justice for victims away from any revenge nature, noting that severe  penalties may be imposed on those accused of intentional murder and systematic torture, and the issuance of liquidation orders, where the punishment reaches life imprisonment or aggravated imprisonment for a period of up to 25 years in central prisons.

The sources pointed out that the punishment of temporary hard labor between 10 and 20 years is applied to sub-participants and informants who are proven to have indirectly caused arrest or harm.

In line with international standards, the death penalty is replaced by life imprisonment to ensure international recognition of sentences and facilitate the prosecution of defendants fleeing the country.