Overview
- A federal jury in Los Angeles on March 16, 2026 found Samir Ousman Alsheikh guilty of conspiracy to commit torture and three counts of torture tied to abuses at Adra Prison in Damascus.
- Jurors also convicted him of lying to immigration authorities, including fraudulently obtaining a green card and attempting to naturalize as a U.S. citizen.
- Trial evidence described prisoners suspended by manacles, severe beatings, use of a hinged “Magic Carpet” device, and isolation in Adra’s Wing 13, with testimony linking Alsheikh to ordering and participating in the abuse.
- Prosecutors said Alsheikh led Damascus Central Prison from 2005 to 2008 and later became governor of Deir Ez-Zour in 2011 before entering the United States in 2020 after concealing his past on applications.
- He remains in U.S. custody awaiting sentencing and faces up to 20 years per torture-related count and up to 10 years per immigration offense, following an investigation by FBI and HSI units with support from German authorities.