Former Syrian Grand Mufti, Ahmed Badr Al-Din Hassoun, has been arrested at Damascus International Airport.

Former mufti of the Syrian Arab Republic, Sheikh Ahmed Badr al-Din Hassoun, was arrested by the public security forces yesterday, Wednesday, March 26, at Damascus International Airport while attempting to leave the country to undergo surgery in the Jordanian capital, Amman.

According to the local newspaper "Al-Watan," Hassoun had obtained prior approval from the Syrian authorities to travel to Jordan for treatment. Two official cars were allocated to accompany him to the airport with his wife and children, and the VIP lounge was reserved for him while waiting for the plane to take off.

Minutes after his arrival, security forces entered the lounge, arrested him, and took him to an unknown location, without touching his family who remained at the airport.

The "Syrian Observatory for Human Rights" reported that the airport's immigration and passport control stamped Sheikh Hassoun's passport before he was taken away by the public security forces.

Activists on social media circulated a photo showing Sheikh Hassoun blindfolded during the arrest.

So far, no official statement has been issued clarifying the reasons for the arrest or his whereabouts. There are reports of undisclosed investigations being conducted with him.

Sheikh Ahmed Hassoun previously served as Syria's mufti and was known for his strong support of the former Syrian regime, which subjected him to widespread criticism, especially during the country's recent events.

On February 17, protests erupted at Hassoun's residence in the Al-Furqan neighborhood in Aleppo after a video surfaced attacking him, labeling him as the "mufti of barrel bombs." Young men gathered in front of his house and some of them stormed it, prompting public security forces to disperse the protesters and protect the former mufti.