Former Syrian Prison Official Charged with Torture

A federal grand jury in Los Angeles returned a superseding indictment today charging a former Syrian government official with torture.

According to court documents, Samir Ousman Alsheikh, 72, of Lexington, South Carolina, was the head of Damascus Central Prison, colloquially known as Adra Prison, from approximately 2005 through 2008. In that role, Alsheikh allegedly ordered subordinates to inflict and was sometimes personally involved in inflicting severe physical and mental pain and suffering on political and other prisoners. In particular, Alsheikh allegedly ordered some prisoners to Adra Prison’s “Punishment Wing,” where prisoners were beaten while suspended from the ceiling with their arms extended and were subjected to a device known as the “Flying Carpet,” which folded their bodies in half at the waist, causing excruciating pain and sometimes resulting in fractured spines.

“Samir Alsheikh is charged with torturing political dissidents and other prisoners to deter opposition to the regime of then-Syrian President Bashar al-Assad,” said Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Nicole M. Argentieri, head of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division. “Alsheikh later allegedly lied about his crimes to obtain a U.S. green card. The victims of such violent treatment continue to suffer long after the physical acts of torture have ceased. The Justice Department is committed to prosecuting perpetrators of such crimes and will not allow them, through lies and concealment, to hide in the United States.”

“The allegations in this superseding indictment of grave human rights abuses are chilling,” said U.S. Attorney Martin Estrada for the Central District of California. “Our country will not be a safe harbor for those accused of committing atrocities abroad.”

Alsheikh allegedly held a variety of positions in the Syrian police and the Syrian state security apparatus, was associated with the Syrian Ba’ath Party that ruled Syria, and was appointed governor of the province of Deir Ez-Zour by then-Syrian President Bashar al-Assad in 2011. The superseding indictment alleges that Alsheikh immigrated to the United States in 2020 and applied for U.S. citizenship in 2023.

“When it comes to pursuing our criminal investigations, Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) has a long reach and an even longer memory,” said Special Agent in Charge Eddy Wang of the HSI Los Angeles Field office. “The defendant is accused of torturing prisoners in Syria almost 20 years ago, and today, we are one step closer to holding him accountable for those heinous crimes. The United States will never be a safe haven for those who commit human rights abuses abroad.”

“The allegations in this superseding indictment reveal unconscionable crimes and a clear violation of human rights,” said Assistant Director Chad Yarbrough of the FBI Criminal Investigative Division. “The FBI is committed to working with our partners across the globe to uncover the truth and ensure those who engage in unlawful and inhumane criminal activity face the full consequences of their actions.”

The superseding indictment adds three counts of torture and one count of conspiracy to commit torture to the visa fraud and attempted naturalization fraud charges that were the subject of the initial indictment against Alsheikh in August. If convicted, Alsheikh faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison for the conspiracy to commit torture charge, a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison for each of the three torture charges, and a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison for each of the two immigration fraud charges. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

HSI and the FBI are investigating the case, with support from the HSI-led Human Rights Violators and War Crimes Center and the Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs. The Justice Department thanks the Swedish Police Authority; Royal Canadian Mounted Police – Federal Policing, Pacific Region; and authorities in Belgium for their invaluable assistance.

Trial Attorneys Patrick Jasperse and Alexandra Skinnion of the Criminal Division’s Human Rights and Special Prosecutions Section (HRSP) and Assistant U.S. Attorney Joshua O. Mausner for the Central District of California are prosecuting the case. HRSP historian Phil Hoffman provided substantial assistance in the investigation and prosecution.

Members of the public who have information about human rights violators in the United States are urged to contact U.S. law enforcement through the FBI tip line at 1-800-CALL-FBI or the HSI tip line at 1-866-DHS-2-ICE, or complete the FBI online tip form or the ICE online tip form.

An indictment is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.