Ex-Syrian Prison Official Gets 60 Years in U.S. Torture Case

A Los Angeles federal court sentenced former Syrian prison official Samir Ousman al-Sheikh, 73, to 60 years on Sept. 17, 2026. Judge Hernan D Vera ruled after a March jury convicted him of torturing prisoners — severe abuse to punish — and lying on U.S. immigration forms. He moved to the U.S. in 2020 and was arrested in 2024.