Former Syrian Prison Official Charged with Torture in USA
A former Syrian military official, Samir Ousman al-Sheikh, has been charged with multiple counts of torture and conspiracy to commit torture by a federal grand jury in California, CBS News reports.
Al-Sheikh, who served as the head of Syria’s notorious Adra Prison from 2005 to 2008 under the Assad regime, was initially arrested in July at LAX on immigration fraud charges.
The charges stem from al-Sheikh’s alleged role in overseeing and participating in the torture of prisoners at Adra Prison. Federal officials allege he ordered subordinates to inflict pain and was directly involved in inflicting severe physical and mental abuse, including beatings while suspended from the ceiling and the use of a device that fractured prisoners’ spines. These actions, according to the indictment, occurred in the prison’s “Punishment Wing.”
The arrest comes as a significant step towards accountability for human rights abuses in Syria, according to Mouaz Moustafa, executive director of the Syrian Emergency Task Force.
Al-Sheikh’s attorney, Nina Marino, vehemently denies the charges, calling them “politically motivated and false accusations” and a “misguided use” of government resources. Marino argues the prosecution of a foreign national for alleged crimes committed in a foreign country against non-US citizens is inappropriate.
The indictment alleges that al-Sheikh falsely denied involvement in persecution on his U.S. visa and citizenship applications. He had been attempting to depart the US for Beirut, Lebanon when arrested. This case follows a separate indictment unsealed earlier this week accusing two other Syrian officials of operating a torture center at the Mezzeh air force base, where victims included American and dual citizens. Arrest warrants have been issued for those two officials, who remain at large.
Al-Sheikh’s career spanned various roles within the Syrian government, including police command, state security, and governorship of Deir ez-Zour, a region subjected to violent crackdowns on protesters. If convicted, he faces a maximum sentence of 80 years in prison for the torture and conspiracy charges, plus an additional 20 years for the immigration fraud charges.
