Former Syrian official sentenced to 60 years in U.S. for torture

A federal court in Los Angeles sentenced former Syrian prison official Samir Ousman al-Sheikh, 73, to 60 years on Sept. 17, 2026. Judge Hernan D Vera imposed the term after a March jury conviction for torturing prisoners and lying on U.S. immigration forms. Al-Sheikh moved to the U.S. in 2020 and was arrested in 2024.