Assad-era Syrian official convicted of torture, jailed for 60 years by US court

Samir Ousman Alsheikh, a former Syrian government official who oversaw the Damascus Central Prison during the Assad regime, has been sentenced to 60 years in a US federal prison for his role in torturing prisoners. The 74-year-old was convicted in March on charges of conspiracy to commit torture and three counts of torture, as well as lying to US immigration authorities about his involvement in the crimes.

Alsheikh, accused of ordering subordinates to inflict physical and mental suffering on detainees to suppress opposition to Assad's rule, was also convicted of attempting to naturalize as a US citizen fraudulently.

The sentencing, handed down by US District Judge Hernan Vera in Los Angeles on Thursday, marks the highest-ranking former member of Assad's government to be tried and convicted outside Syria. Alsheikh's legal team had requested a five-year sentence, but he maintained his innocence during the trial. Syrian rebels ended over 50 years of Assad family rule in late 2024, following a swift military campaign that ended a decade-long civil war that displaced hundreds of thousands and left much of the country in ruins.

Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa, who assumed power after Assad's removal, has since been working to improve relations with the West.