Former Syrian Official Samir Ousman Alsheikh Sentenced to 60 Years in US Prison for Torture

A former Syrian military official convicted of brutal human rights abuses during the rule of former President Bashar al-Assad has been sentenced to 60 years in a United States prison. Samir Ousman Alsheikh received the sentence from a federal judge in Los Angeles on Thursday, following a March conviction that found him guilty of one count of conspiracy to commit torture and three counts of torture.

During his tenure in charge of Syria’s notorious Adra Prison from roughly 2005 to 2008, Alsheikh targeted political dissidents. Prosecutors highlighted testimony from victims who recounted severe beatings while suspended from ceiling pipes and the use of specialized devices designed to fold bodies in half at the waist. The presiding judge described the conduct as heinous, unimaginably cruel, and violent.

While US prosecutors sought a minimum sentence of 80 years, defense attorneys Nina Marino and Collin Cate requested a five-year term, citing Alsheikh's age of 74, his medical conditions, and his willingness to face deportation to Syria. Alsheikh had relocated to the US in 2020 and was arrested in July 2024 after federal authorities determined he lied about his past to fraudulently obtain a green card and attempt naturalization.

The sentencing comes against the backdrop of shifting political landscapes in Syria, where al-Assad was ousted in December 2024, ending a 14-year civil war. Meanwhile, authorities in Aleppo recently handed down separate sentences related to post-conflict violence and sectarian revenge attacks.