Former Syrian Official Convicted of Torture

A U.S. federal jury in Los Angeles convicted Adra Prison, a 73-year-old former Syrian regime official, of conspiracy to commit torture and three counts of torture for his involvement in the torture of prisoners at Adra Prison in Damascus between 2005 and 2008. Alsheikh, who headed the Damascus Central Prison under the regime of ousted Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, also faced conviction for lying to U.S. immigration authorities, fraudulently obtaining a green card, and attempting to naturalize as a U.S. citizen. Prosecutors stated that Alsheikh ordered subordinates to inflict severe physical and mental pain on political and other prisoners, sometimes personally participating in these incidents, with the aim of deterring opposition to the Assad government. He faces a maximum penalty of 20 years for each torture count and 10 years for each immigration fraud charge. This conviction follows the recent ouster of the Assad family's rule in Syria and the takeover by Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa.