U.S. detains former Syrian official in charge of notorious prison
QAMISHLI, Syria (North Press) – The U.S. arrested a former Syrian official in California who was in charge of a notorious prison in Syria where political dissidents were tortured and killed, The New York Times reported on Tuesday.
Federal law enforcement agents arrested the former official, Samir Ousman al-Sheikh, 72, before leaving to Beirut, Lebanon, according to court papers.
Al-Sheikh, who has been living in Los Angeles as a permanent resident since 2020, is accused of trying to commit fraud in his application for U.S. citizenship based on a criminal complaint filed last week.
The complaint says al-Sheikh, a former police commander, intelligence officer, and brigadier general who managed Syria’s Adra prison, made false statements about whether he persecuted individuals for their political beliefs or was implicated in any killings.
Al-Sheikh was in charge of Adra prison near Damascus between 2005 and 2008. It holds political dissidents, protesters, and civilians who are accused of committing crimes.
Former prisoners at Adra have spoken about being starved, physically abused, subjected to torture, and sexually assaulted. Many inmates were held in the prison for long periods without trial or died while in custody.
The legal case is still ongoing as investigators are thinking about adding more charges against al-Sheikh, as mentioned in the court documents.