Key facts
- Samir Ousman Alsheikh, a former Syrian government official, was sentenced to 60 years in prison by a US federal court in Los Angeles.
- Alsheikh headed Adra Prison from 2005 to 2008 and was convicted of conspiracy to commit torture and torture.
- He was also convicted of lying to US immigration authorities about his crimes.
- US District Judge Hernan Vera described the conduct as "heinous, unimaginably cruel and almost unspeakably violent and brutal."
- Alsheikh, 74, moved to the US in 2020 and applied for citizenship.
- He was arrested in July 2024 on immigration fraud charges, with torture-related charges added later.
A former Syrian government official who headed the Damascus Central Prison under ousted President Bashar al-Assad has been sentenced to 60 years in prison by a US judge for his involvement in the abuse of prisoners at Adra Prison. Samir Ousman Alsheikh, 74, was convicted in March on one count of conspiracy to commit torture and three counts of torture. He was also found guilty of lying to U.S. immigration authorities about his crimes, fraudulently obtaining a green card and attempting to naturalize as a U.S. citizen.
Prosecutors said Alsheikh ordered subordinates to inflict physical and mental pain on prisoners to deter opposition to Assad's government and was sometimes personally involved in such incidents. US District Judge Hernan Vera described the conduct as "heinous, unimaginably cruel and almost unspeakably violent and brutal." Alsheikh's legal team had asked for a five-year sentence, while prosecutors had sought a minimum of 80 years.
Alsheikh, who held positions in the state security apparatus, moved to the US in 2020 and applied for citizenship. He was arrested in July 2024 on immigration fraud charges, with torture-related charges added later. He is the highest-ranking former member of Assad's government to be tried and convicted in person outside Syria.