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

A erstwhile Syrian situation authoritative was convicted by a U.S. national assemblage successful Los Angeles Monday connected torture and migration fraud charges aft prosecutors said helium oversaw and astatine times personally carried retired brutal abuses against detainees nether the now-ousted authorities of erstwhile Syrian President Bashar al-Assad.

Samir Ousman Alsheikh, a erstwhile brigadier wide who erstwhile headed Damascus Central Prison, besides known arsenic Adra Prison, was recovered blameworthy pursuing a nine-day proceedings of conspiracy to perpetrate torture, immigration-related fraud offenses, and 3 counts of torture, according to the Justice Department.

The lawsuit marks a historical measurement toward accountability, with Alsheikh becoming the archetypal Assad-era authoritative to beryllium tried and convicted successful a U.S. national court.

Prosecutors said the 73-year-old ordered and oversaw the torture of governmental prisoners betwixt 2005 and 2008, including beatings, suspension from ceilings and the usage of devices specified arsenic the alleged "Magic Carpet," which folded victims’ bodies to inflict utmost pain.

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A handout photograph shows erstwhile Syrian President Bashar al-Assad (R) and Samir Ousman Alsheikh (L) connected oregon astir July 25, 2011, erstwhile Assad appointed Alsheikh arsenic politician of Deir ez-Zor. (U.S. Department of Justice)

He entered the United States successful 2020 aft lying astir his past connected his visa exertion and aboriginal attempted to go a U.S. citizen, authorities said.

Alsheikh, who was arrested astatine Los Angeles International Airport successful 2024 arsenic helium attempted to committee a one-way formation to Beirut, faces up to 20 years successful situation for each torture-related number erstwhile helium is sentenced astatine a aboriginal date.

"Samir Ousman Alsheikh ordered, directed, and straight participated successful heinous acts of torture designed to inflict excruciating intelligence and carnal symptom with the extremity of punishing and silencing governmental dissent," said Tysen Duva, adjunct lawyer wide for the Justice Department’s transgression part successful a statement.

"For galore years, helium evaded work for his crimes successful Syria, including by lying to U.S. migration authorities successful bid to reside successful the U.S. with the anticipation of obtaining citizenship. Thanks to the courageousness and perseverance of the victims and the dedication of Department of Justice prosecutors, on with their instrumentality enforcement partners, justness has prevailed and Alsheikh tin nary longer tally from his past."

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A torn representation of Bashir al-Assad is seen wrong the Presidential Palace connected Dec. 10, 2024 successful Damascus, Syria. (Ali Haj Suleiman/Getty Images)

According to a national transgression ailment filed successful July 2024, Alsheikh was an subordinate of Maher al-Assad, the younger member of Bashar al-Assad, who led the Syrian military's elite Fourth Division.

He was appointed by Assad successful 2011 arsenic politician of Deir ez-Zor pursuing anti-government protests that dispersed crossed the state during the Arab Spring.

The Syrian Emergency Task Force (SETF), a Washington-based advocacy group, assisted investigators successful bringing the erstwhile authorities authoritative to justice. The enactment archetypal identified Alsheikh successful Los Angeles done a extremity and conducted its ain verification utilizing open-source worldly and leaked Syrian authorities data.

It past alerted U.S. authorities and worked with the FBI and Justice Department to assistance physique the case, including connecting investigators with cardinal witnesses who testified astir abuses astatine Adra Prison. According to SETF, it pushed for torture charges alternatively than solely migration violations to guarantee broader accountability.

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Syrian lawmaker and absorption activistic Mamoun al-Homsi is pictured astatine his bureau successful Damascus connected Aug. 7, 2001. (Khaled Al-Hariri/Reuters)

Mamoun al-Homsi, a erstwhile autarkic subordinate of the Syrian Parliament, was arrested successful 2001 for demanding antiauthoritarian reforms and spent 5 years successful Adra Prison. He told Fox News Digital successful an interview, done a translator, that Alsheikh stood retired from different situation directors for his brutality.

Al-Homsi said that portion erstwhile situation heads mostly adhered to situation rules and did not people detainees for their governmental views, Alsheikh’s accomplishment successful 2005 marked a shift. 

"The toughest torture for maine wasn't thing done to maine physically arsenic overmuch arsenic it was what was done to others connected my behalf," said al-Homsi.

SETF enforcement manager Mouaz Moustafa, who attended the trial, told Fox News Digital that grounds revealed Alsheikh allegedly ordered different prisoner, Khaled Abdul Malek, to poison al-Homsi.

Police basal astatine the gross of Damascus Central Prison successful the Adra country adjacent the Syrian superior Damascus connected May 28, 2010. (Khaled al-Hariri/Reuters)

"Khaled Abdul Malek had travel truthful adjacent to Mamoun al-Homsi truthful helium told him astir this program and told him don't devour thing from anyone to the constituent wherever Mamoun al-Homsi would spell to the trash if determination was immoderate and lavation immoderate is left," Moustafa said.

Malek refused Alsheikh’s request to poison the salient governmental figure, starring to him being placed successful Wing 13, a notorious portion of the situation wherever radical were tortured.

"Khaled Malik past had his backmost broken," Moustafa said, adding that helium arrived successful tribunal with a cane and could hardly walk.

Al-Homsi said helium survived connected olive pits and mislaid much than 60 pounds. He was released successful 2006 and aboriginal fled to Canada.

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An aerial presumption of Adra Prison, located connected the outskirts of Damascus, Syria. (Google Earth/Fox News Digital Ashley Carnahan)

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The erstwhile parliament subordinate told Fox News Digital the verdict sends a connection that erstwhile authorities officials cannot evade accountability, adjacent if they permission Syria and effort to rebuild their lives abroad.

Al-Homsi called the verdict a awesome that justice, though agelong delayed, is yet taking clasp — an result helium described arsenic indispensable for the aboriginal of a escaped Syria.