A US federal judge has sentenced former Syrian prison chief Samir Ousman Alsheikh to 60 years in prison for torturing inmates and lying to US immigration officials.
Alsheikh, 74, headed Damascus Central Prison, also known as Adra Prison, from about 2005 to 2008 under former Syrian President Bashar al-Assad.
A federal jury convicted him in March 2026 of conspiracy to commit torture, three counts of torture, immigration fraud, and attempted naturalization fraud.
During the trial, three former prisoners testified about being tortured at the prison. Prosecutors said Alsheikh ordered and, in some cases, personally took part in the abuse of detainees, including prisoners who refused to attack political dissidents.
The Justice Department said victims were subjected to beatings, prolonged suspension, and a torture device known as the “Flying Carpet,” which forced victims’ bodies into a painful folded position.
Alsheikh entered the United States in 2020 after concealing his past from immigration authorities. He later lied about his background while seeking US citizenship. He has been in federal custody since his arrest in July 2024.
The Justice Department described Alsheikh as the highest-ranking former Assad government official to be tried and convicted in person outside Syria.
His sentencing comes nearly two years after Assad was overthrown in December 2024, ending his family’s decades-long rule. The collapse of the government was followed by the opening of Syrian prisons, where families searched for relatives who had disappeared during the country’s long civil war.
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