US sentences Syrian prison torture convict to 60 years

A US federal judge sentenced Samir Ousman Alsheikh, a former Syrian prison official, to 60 years in prison Thursday for torture and immigration fraud, the US Department of Justice said.

The department said Alsheikh, 74, had been in the United States since 2020 and allegedly ran Damascus Central Prison, also known as Adra Prison, from about 2005 to 2008.

A jury found him guilty in March of one count of conspiracy to commit torture, three counts of torture, one count of visa fraud and one count of attempted naturalization fraud, according to the Justice Department.

Three former prisoners testified during the trial about abuse they said they suffered at Alsheikh's hands, as well as torture inflicted on other prisoners.

The Justice Department said Alsheikh also lied about his past to gain entry to the United States in 2020.