Former Syrian guard arrested in U.S., charged with torture

Federal officials charged a former Syrian prison guard living in South Carolina with torturing prisoners, the Department of Justice said on Thursday. Officials previously indicted Samir Ousman al-Sheikh in August on separate charges of lying to U.S. immigration officials to obtain a green card and naturalization fraud. He’s presumed innocent until proven guilty in court, the DOJ said.

The department alleges that al-Sheikh inflicted extreme physical and mental suffering on prisoners while serving as prison warden of Damascus Central Prison from 2005-08. The department detailed excruciating torture that involved prisoners hanging from the ceiling and treatment known to fracture spines. U.S. Attorney Martin Estrada described the alleged human rights abuses as chilling. America will not harbor people accused of international atrocities, he said.

How did he get a green card? Alsheikh applied for U.S. citizenship in 2023 after immigrating in 2020, according to the DOJ The 72-year-old received a green card by lying on his U.S. visa and citizenship applications, saying he never persecuted or physically harmed anyone during his time in Syria, according to the DOJ. Criminals will not be allowed to use the United States as a hiding place, said Nicole M. Argentieri, the attorney who heads up the DOJ’s criminal division.

Is Alsheikh in custody to face the indictment? Authorities arrested Alsheikh at Los Angeles International Airport in July before the man boarded a one-way flight to Lebanon, according to court documents. The Syrian national may face a combined 80 years in prison for torture and conspiracy charges, with up to another 20 years for the two immigration fraud charges, the DOJ explained.