A federal grand jury in Los Angeles this week indicted a former Syrian military official on multiple counts of torture he allegedly committed in a prison he oversaw for years.
According to the Justice Ministry, Samir Ousman Sheikh, former head of Damascus Central Prison, was personally involved in torturing political dissidents to deter opposition to the regime of then Syrian President Bashar al-Assad.
Authorities first arrested the 72-year-old Sheikh at Los Angeles International Airport on July 10, and he was charged with immigration fraud the following month. This week's indictment adds three counts of torture and one count of conspiracy to commit torture.
Prosecutors say Sheikh personally carried out some of the violence. This allegedly involved beatings and subjecting prisoners to a wooden device called a “flying carpet” that forcefully folded them in half and caused one victim to suffer a spinal fracture.
A prison cell in the notorious military prison “215” in Damascus.
(Ayman Oghanna/For The Times)
“The allegations in this supplemental indictment of serious human rights violations are chilling,” said U.S. Atty. Martin Estrada for the Central District of California said in a statement. “Our country will not be a safe haven for those accused of committing atrocities abroad.”
Nina Marino, a lawyer representing Sheikh, said her client “vehemently denies these politically motivated and false allegations.”
“In filing these false allegations, this Department of Justice has chosen to dedicate valuable government resources to the prosecution of a Foreigner for alleged crimes committed in a foreign country against non-American citizens, misusing the same resources that could be used to protect American citizens from criminal behavior in America,” Marino wrote in a statement.
She added that they “intend to vigorously defend ourselves against these false accusations and seek full vindication for our client.”
In August, Sheikh pleaded not guilty to charges of visa fraud and attempted naturalization fraud. According to the US Attorney's Office in LA, he will be arraigned on the superseding indictment in the coming days or weeks
According to the latest indictment, Sheikh ran the Damascus prison – known as Adra – between 2005 and 2008. The prison contained a “punishment wing”, which included an underground section with small isolation cells and a room for prisoners to be interrogated and tortured.
The indictment detailed the torture of several prisoners, including one identified by the initials KAM, whose body Sheikh, prison officials and prison guards allegedly distorted on the “flying carpet” device.
KAM was also allegedly beaten while hanging from the ceiling in a crucifixion-like position and stomping around for hours, the indictment says.
According to the Justice Ministry, Sheikh allegedly held several positions in the Syrian police and state security apparatus, was associated with the Syrian Baath Party, which ruled Syria, and was appointed governor of Deir Ez-Zour province by then-Syrian President Assad in the year 2011. He is reported to have immigrated to the United States in 2020 and applied for U.S. citizenship in 2023.
The Justice Department says Sheikh concealed his prison employment when he applied for citizenship. He is also said to have provided false information when applying for a visa to enter the USA
If convicted, he could face up to 20 years in prison on torture charges and up to 10 years in prison on immigration fraud charges.
Rebel fighters recently took control of Syria and Assad has reportedly fled to Russia. During their advance on Damascus, opposition groups took over several prisons and released long-serving political prisoners. Assad's fall ends a 50-year dynasty started by his late father Hafez, who was notorious for his brutal treatment of opponents.
Times staff writer Nabih Bulos contributed to this report.