Former Syrian official sentenced to 60 years in U.S. on torture charges

A U.S. federal judge early today sentenced 74-year-old Samir Othman Al-Sheikh, a former Baathist regime official who ran Adra Prison, also known as Damascus Central Prison, between 2005 and 2008, to 60 years in prison after he was convicted of charges related to torturing prisoners and lying to U.S. immigration authorities.

The U.S. Department of Justice said a jury convicted Al-Sheikh in March 2026 of conspiracy to commit torture, three counts of torture, immigration document fraud, and attempted naturalization fraud.

According to the Justice Department, evidence presented during the trial showed that Al-Sheikh ordered and participated in the torture of prisoners while running Adra Prison. It also showed that he concealed his past from U.S. immigration authorities when he entered the United States in 2020 and later during the process of obtaining permanent residency and U.S. citizenship.

Three victims testified during the trial about being tortured and witnessing other prisoners subjected to various forms of abuse. The Justice Department said Al-Sheikh ordered some prisoners to be sent to a section of the prison known as “Wing 13,” where they were tortured.

During the sentencing, U.S. District Judge Hernán D. Vera described the acts attributed to Al-Sheikh as “extremely cruel and violent.”

According to the U.S. Department of Justice, Al-Sheikh is the highest-ranking former official of Bashar al-Assad’s government to be tried and convicted in person outside Syria in a case of this kind.

A-H 

ANHA