Madhhar al-Wais

Mazhar Abdul Rahman al-Wais (; born 1980) is a Syrian Islamic scholar and former militant leader who is the current Minister of Justice in the Syrian transitional government since March 2025.

He had previously served as the head of the Sharia Authority in Eastern Syria and a member of the Shura Council of Mujahideen in the Eastern Region. He later became a prominent jurist in Hay'at Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) and held positions within the Ministry of Justice of the Syrian Salvation Government.

Early life and imprisonment Al-Wais studied medicine at Damascus University before switching to Islamic studies at the Al-Fath Islamic Institute, specializing in comparative jurisprudence.

In 2008, he was arrested by the Ba'athist Syrian intelligence services and imprisoned at Far' Falastin then Sednaya Prison and was sentenced for eight years. During his imprisonment, he participated in three major prison uprisings led by Islamist detainees.

Al-Wais stated that the agreement would “boost existing confidence” between the two countries and expressed hope that bilateral relations would progress further.

Controversies On 1 August 2020, he tweeted his opinion that the Alawites are a "despicable minority which enslaved the Sunni majority".