Former Assad-era prison chief convicted of torture in US federal court, marking a historic first

A handout photo shows former Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, right, and Samir Ousman Alsheikh on or about July 25, 2011, when Assad appointed Alsheikh as governor of Deir ez-Zor.(U.S.Department of Justice)

He entered the United States in 2020 after lying about his past on his visa application and later attempted to become a U.S.citizen, authorities said.

Alsheikh, who was arrested atLos AngelesInternational Airport in 2024 as he attempted to board a one-way flight to Beirut, faces up to 20 years in prison for each torture-related count when he is sentenced at a later date.

“Samir Ousman Alsheikh ordered, directed, and directly participated in heinous acts of torture designed to inflict excruciating mental and physical pain with the goal of punishing and silencing political dissent,” said Tysen Duva, assistant attorney general for theJustice Department’scriminal division in a statement.

“For many years, he evaded responsibility for his crimes in Syria, including by lying to U.S.immigration authorities in order to reside in the U.S.with the hope of obtaining citizenship.Thanks to the courage and perseverance of the victims and the dedication of Department of Justice prosecutors, along with their law enforcement partners, justice has prevailed, and Alsheikh can no longer run from his past.”

‘HIGH STAKES DIPLOMACY’: NEW BOOK GIVES AN INSIDE LOOK AT EFFORTS TO BRING HOME AN AMERICAN DETAINED IN SYRIA

A torn portrait of Bashar al-Assad inside the Presidential Palace Dec.10, 2024, in Damascus, Syria.(Ali Haj Suleiman/Getty Images)

According to a federal criminal complaint filed in July 2024, Alsheikh was an associate of Maher al-Assad, the younger brother of Bashar al-Assad, who led the Syrian military’s elite Fourth Division.

He was appointed by Assad in 2011 as governor of Deir ez-Zor after anti-government protests that spread across the country during the Arab Spring.

The Syrian Emergency Task Force (SETF), aWashington-based advocacy group, assisted investigators in bringing the former regime official to justice.The organization first identified Alsheikh in Los Angeles through a tip and conducted its own verification using open-source material and leaked Syrian government data.

It then alerted U.S.authorities and worked with the FBI and Justice Department to help build the case, including connecting investigators with key witnesses who testified aboutabuses at Adra Prison.According to SETF, it pushed for torture charges rather than solely immigration violations to ensure broader accountability.

Read More → Why a credit freeze isn’t the end of identity theft

WHATEVER HAPPENED TO…SYRIA’S CIVIL WAR?

Syrian lawmaker and opposition activist Mamoun al-Homsi is pictured at his office in Damascus Aug.7, 2001.(Khaled Al-Hariri/Reuters)

Read More → Can’t stop thinking about food?Experts point to an unexpected cause

Mamoun al-Homsi, a former independent member of the Syrian Parliament, was arrested in 2001 for demanding democratic reforms and spent five years in Adra Prison.

Al-Homsi said that while previous prison heads largely adhered to prison rules and did not target detainees for their political views, Alsheikh’s arrival in 2005 marked a shift. 

Read More → American flag raised, flies over US Embassy building in Venezuela for first time in 7 years

“The toughest torture for me wasn’t anything done to me physically as much as it was what was done to others on my behalf,” said al-Homsi.

Police stand at the gate of Damascus Central Prison in the Adra area near the Syrian capital of Damascus May 28, 2010.(Khaled al-Hariri/Reuters)

“Khaled Abdul Malek had come so close to Mamoun al-Homsi, so he told him about this plan and told him don’t eat anything from anyone to the point where Mamoun al-Homsi would go to the trash if there was any and wash whatever is left,” Moustafa said.

Malek refused Alsheikh’s demand to poison the prominent political figure, leading to him being placed in Wing 13, a notorious part of the prison where people were tortured.

“Khaled Malik then had his back broken,” Moustafa said, adding that he arrived in court with a cane and could barely walk.

Al-Homsi said he survived on olive pits and lost more than 60 pounds.He was released in 2006 and laterfled to Canada.

WHY SYRIA PLAYS A KEY ROLE IN TRUMP’S PLANS FOR MIDDLE EAST PEACE

An aerial view of Adra Prison, located on the outskirts of Damascus, Syria.

Read More → Broncos land star receiver Jaylen Waddle in blockbuster trade with Dolphins: reports

onelink.me/xLDS?pid=AppArticleLink&af_web_dp=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.

Al-Homsi called the verdict a signal that justice, though long delayed, is finally taking hold, an outcome he described as essential for the future of a free Syria.