Assad-era Syrian official jailed for 60 years by US court

By Kanishka Singh

WASHINGTON, Sept 17 (Reuters) - A former Syrian government official who ​headed the Damascus Central Prison under ousted PresidentBashar al-Assad and was convicted of ‌torture by a US federal jury has been sentenced to60 years in prison by a US judge, federal prosecutors said.

Samir Ousman Alsheikh, 74, was charged in 2024 and convicted in March on one count of conspiracy to commit torture and three counts of torture for his involvement in the abuse of prisoners at Adra Prison, as ​it is colloquially known in Damascus.

Alsheikh was also convicted of lying toU.S. immigration authorities ​about his commission of the crimes, fraudulently obtaining a green card and attempting to naturalize as a U.S. citizen, the U.S. Department of Justice said.

Thursday's sentence was handed downby U.S. District Judge Hernan Vera in Los Angeles.

Prosecutors said Alsheikhordered subordinates to inflict physical and ​mental pain on prisoners to deter opposition to Assad's government andwas sometimes personally involved in such ​incidents.

The U.S. Justice Department said Alsheikh, who held positions in the state security apparatus,was the highest-ranking former member of Assad's government to be tried and convicted in person outside Syria.

Alsheikh's legal team had asked for a five-year sentence. In March, they said they were "disappointed" by his conviction. Alsheikh, who headed Adra Prison from 2005 to 2008, had previously pleaded not guilty.

Syrian rebels put an end to more than 50 years of rule by the Assad family in late 2024 following a lightning advance. Hundreds of thousands died in a civil war that lasted more than a decade, ​unleashed a global refugee crisis and left cities across the country in ruins.

Syrian ​President Ahmed al-Sharaa, a former al Qaeda commander, took over after Assad's ouster and has worked to improve ties with ​the West.

(Reporting by Kanishka Singh in Washington;)