In the early hours of Sunday morning, Fawaz Al-Hassan, known as “Abu Ali Al-Shar’i”, the first Sharia judge of ISIS in Raqqa, was killed as a result of airstrikes carried out by the international coalition in the area.
Al-Hassan was known for his record of issuing execution sentences against defectors and civilians. He was considered the first Sharia judge of ISIS and took over the administration of the Mansoura Sharia Court in mid-2013, which worked to sideline the role of the Sharia Committee in Raqqa, before eventually taking charge of the Sharia Court in Raqqa itself.
Al-Hassan was one of the most prominent security figures in the organization in Raqqa. He issued orders to summon all defectors from the regime and forced them to attend Sharia courses. He was known for his brutality and took pride in issuing and personally carrying out execution sentences against more than a hundred individuals. It is worth noting that he held no academic qualifications or experience that would qualify him to manage a court or civil affairs. He previously worked in construction and later as a shepherd before joining a Salafi movement and being imprisoned in the Saydnaya military prison. In mid-2013, he was appointed as the chief Sharia judge of ISIS.
One of the controversial aspects of Al-Hassan’s background is that he was among those who organized what were called “pledge tents” during the 2007 presidential election to renew Bashar Al-Assad’s term in office.