The outcome can be determined based on official sentencing announcements from the U.S. Department of Justice.

Ex-Syrian Official Faces Torture Charges in U.S. for Adra Prison Abuses

Dec 13, 2024, 02:59 AM

Samir Ousman Alsheikh, a former Syrian government official who oversaw Damascus Central Prison, known as Adra Prison, from 2005 to 2008, has been indicted in the United States on charges of torture and conspiracy to commit torture. The 72-year-old was arrested in Los Angeles in July 2024 on immigration fraud charges after attempting to leave the country. According to the U.S. Department of Justice, Alsheikh personally inflicted severe physical and mental pain on prisoners, ordering them to the 'Punishment Wing' where they were subjected to brutal torture methods, including beatings while suspended from the ceiling and a device known as the 'flying carpet' that could cause spinal fractures. Alsheikh, who moved to the U.S. in 2020 and applied for citizenship in 2023, faces up to 20 years in prison for each of the torture charges and up to 10 years for each immigration fraud charge if convicted. His lawyer denies the allegations, describing them as politically motivated.