Former Syrian Official Sentenced 60 Years for Torture

Samir Ousman Alsheikh, a former Syrian military official who ran the Adra Prison isolation wing from 2005 to 2008, was sentenced in Los Angeles to 60 years in a U.S. prison after being convicted of conspiracy to commit torture and three counts of torture. Prosecutors said he directed and participated in brutal abuse intended to suppress political dissent, including beatings, suspension from ceiling pipes and the use of a device that folded prisoners’ bodies in half. Survivors described lasting trauma and memories of fellow detainees pleading for mercy. Prosecutors had sought at least 80 years, while Alsheikh’s lawyers urged five years, citing his age and significant medical and cognitive conditions. The case is part of broader efforts to hold officials accountable for alleged abuses committed under Bashar Assad’s government; some reports also said Alsheikh faced convictions related to immigration fraud and false statements after entering the United States in 2020.