Former Syrian Official Sentenced 60 Years for Torture

Samir Ousman Alsheikh, 74, was sentenced to 60 years in a U.S. prison at a hearing in Los Angeles federal court on Thursday, Sept. 17, 2026. U.S. District Judge Hernan Vera imposed the term after convictions for conspiracy to commit torture and three counts of torture. Alsheikh ran the Adra Prison isolation wing from 2005 to 2008 and headed Damascus Central Prison under Bashar al-Assad. 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. Contested: Prosecutors sought at least 80 years. Defense lawyers urged five years, citing his age and significant medical and cognitive conditions.