Fourth Criminal Court concludes fifth hearing in Ahmad Hassoun trial
Damascus, Aug. 6 (SANA)The Fourth Criminal Court in Damascus concluded on Thursday the fifth hearing in the trial ofAhmad Hassoun, who is accused of incitement to violence, justification of killings, and other charges linked to the era of the ousted regime.The court set August 24 for the next hearing, during which it is scheduled to deliberate the case and issue its verdict.The hearing, chaired byJudge Fakhr al-Din al-Aryan, was attended by representatives of national and international human rights organizations.Hassoun faces charges including exploiting his position as Grand Mufti of the Republic for personal interests, maintaining relations outside his official duties with senior figures of the ousted regime, inciting violence against civilians and refugees, supporting military operations in eastern Aleppo and Idlib, publicly backing figures accused of war crimes, and endorsing the Russian and Iranian interventions in Syria.The Syrian judiciary continues trying those accused of war crimes and crimes against humanity committed during the era of the ousted regime as part of efforts to achievetransitional justiceand hold those responsible accountable.