Ahmad Hassoun, who served as the Grand Mufti of Syria for nearly two decades, is currently the subject of legal proceedings in a Damascus court. Hassoun was a central religious authority in Syria and a vocal supporter of President Bashar al-Assad throughout the Syrian civil war, which began in 2011. His tenure was marked by his public defense of the government’s military actions, leading critics and opposition figures to label him the 'barrel bomb mufti' due to his perceived endorsement of the regime's use of indiscriminate aerial bombardment against civilian-populated areas.

While the specific charges or the nature of the current court verdict remain limited in public reporting, the case highlights the ongoing internal shifts within the Syrian political and religious establishment. Hassoun was removed from his position in 2021, a move that surprised many observers given his long-standing loyalty to the inner circle of the Assad regime. The current legal scrutiny represents a significant departure from his previous status as a protected state official. The proceedings are being closely watched by international observers to determine if this reflects a genuine change in state policy or a strategic distancing by the government from figures associated with the most controversial aspects of the conflict.