A former official of the Assad regime has been convicted of torture in the US
This is according to a report by REUTERS.
federal jury in Los Angeles has found former Syrian official Samir Osman Al-Sheikh guilty; during the rule of ousted President Bashar al-Assad, he was in charge of Damascus Central Prison.
According to the US Department of Justice, 73-year-old Al-Sheikh was convicted of one count of conspiracy to commit torture and three counts of torture due to his involvement in the torture of prisoners at Adra Prison in Damascus, as it is commonly known.
According to the US department, Al-Sheikh headed this prison from 2005 to 2008. Court records indicate that he did not admit guilt. On Monday, his defence team stated that they were “disappointed” by the verdict and that Al-Sheikh would “pursue all available avenues of appeal and post-trial remedies”.
In addition, the jury found him guilty of lying to US immigration authorities about committing these crimes, fraudulently obtaining a green card and attempting to naturalise as a US citizen.
Charges against Al-Sheikh were brought in late 2024. Prosecutors alleged that he ordered subordinates to inflict severe physical and mental pain and suffering on political and other detainees. According to the US Department of Justice, in some instances he personally participated in such acts.
The department stated that this torture was intended to suppress opposition to the Assad government.
Prosecutors also noted that Al-Sheikh, who held positions within the state security apparatus, was linked to the Syrian Ba’ath Party of the Assad regime. In 2011, the ousted Syrian leader appointed him governor of Deir ez-Zor province.
According to the US Department of Justice, Al-Sheikh faces a maximum of 20 years’ imprisonment for each of the three counts of torture and for the count of conspiracy to commit torture.
For each of the counts relating to immigration fraud and attempted naturalisation, he faces a maximum of 10 years’ imprisonment. He will remain in custody in the US until sentencing, the date of which is yet to be set by the court.
Reuters also notes that in late 2024, Syrian rebels brought an end to the Assad family’s more than 50-year rule with a lightning offensive. The civil war, which lasted over a decade, claimed hundreds of thousands of lives, triggered a refugee crisis and left cities in ruins from bombing.
Following Assad’s overthrow, power was taken over by Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa – a former Al-Qaeda commander who, according to Reuters, is seeking to improve relations with the West.
