A federal grand jury in Los Angeles this week indicted a former Syrian military official on several counts of torture allegedly committed in the prison he oversaw for years.
Samir Usman Sheikh, the former warden of Damascus Central Prison, was personally involved in the torture of political dissidents to prevent opposition to then-Syrian President Bashar al-Assad’s regime, according to the Justice Department. .
Authorities first arrested Sheikh, 72, at Los Angeles International Airport on July 10, and he was indicted on immigration fraud charges the following month. This week’s indictment added three counts of torture and one count of conspiracy to torture.
Prosecutors allege that Sheikh personally carried out some of the violence, including beating prisoners and forcing them by subjecting them to wooden devices known as “flying carpets.” It is believed that one of the victims suffered a spinal fracture.
A cell inside the notorious military detention center 215 in Damascus.
(Ayman Oganna/For the Times)
“The allegations in this superseding indictment of gross human rights violations are appalling,” the U.S. barrister said. Martin Estrada of the Central District of California said in a statement. “Our country will not be a safe place for people accused of committing atrocities abroad.”
Nina Marino, a lawyer representing Sheikh, said her client “vehemently denies these politically motivated false accusations.”
“In prosecuting these false charges, the Department of Justice has chosen to allocate valuable government resources to prosecuting foreign nationals for alleged crimes committed against non-U.S. persons in foreign countries, and in doing so, “It would divert the same resources that could be used against other citizens to protect Americans from criminal activity occurring in the United States,” Marino said in a statement.
She added that they “intend to vigorously defend against these false charges and achieve complete exoneration of our client.”
In August, Sheikh pleaded not guilty to charges of visa fraud and attempted naturalization fraud. He is expected to be arraigned on a superseding indictment in the coming days or weeks, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Los Angeles.
According to the latest indictment, Sheikh oversaw the Damascus prison, known as Adra, from 2005 to 2008. The prison had a “penal wing” that included an underground section that housed small isolation cells and rooms where prisoners were housed. Interrogated and tortured.
The indictment details the torture of several prisoners, including one identified by the initials KAM, and alleges that Sheikh, prison officers, and correctional officers contorted bodies on a “flying carpet” device. .
According to the indictment, KAM was also allegedly assaulted, including being hung from the ceiling in a crucifixion-like position for hours and being stomped on.
According to the Justice Department, Sheikh held several positions in the Syrian police and the Syrian state security services, had ties to the Syrian Ba’ath party that ruled Syria, and was said to have been appointed governor of Deir Ezzor province by Syrians at the time. Ru. President Assad in 2011. He reportedly immigrated to the US in 2020 and applied for US citizenship in 2023.
The Justice Department said Sheikh concealed his prison job when applying for citizenship. He also allegedly made false statements when applying for a visa to enter the United States.
If convicted, he could face up to 20 years in prison on the torture charge and up to 10 years on the immigration fraud charge.
Rebels have recently taken control of Syria, and President Assad has reportedly fled to Russia. During their march into Damascus, the rebels seized a number of prisons and released people who had been held in political detention for years. The collapse of Assad’s regime ended a 50-year dynasty started by his late father Hafez, notorious for his brutal treatment of his opponents.
Times correspondent Navi Bros contributed reporting.
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