|
Samir Ousman Alsheikh, 72, oversaw severe physical abuse of
inmates while head of the Adra prison from 2005 until 2010,
according to an indictment unsealed on Thursday in federal court
in Los Angeles.
Alsheikh, an alleged associate of the younger brother of Syrian
President Bashar al-Assad, had been living in South Carolina
when he was arrested last month after purchasing a one-way
ticket on a flight to Beirut, according to court documents.
A federal judge has ordered him detained, court records show. An
attorney for Alsheikh could not immediately be reached for
comment.
Alsheikh, who achieved the rank of brigadier general while
working in the Syrian police and domestic intelligence agency,
oversaw hangings and brutal beatings while head of the Adra
prison, according to a criminal complaint that cited U.S. law
enforcement interviews with former inmates.
The prison, located in a Damascus suburb, housed political
dissidents and others accused of crimes. His time at the prison
pre-dated the Syrian civil war when armed rebel groups sought to
depose the Assad-led government.
Alsheikh was later appointed by Assad as governor of the Deir
Ez-Zor province in eastern Syria.
The indictment alleges Alsheikh made false statements concealing
his role at the prison, political persecution of dissidents and
association with Syria's ruling Ba’ath Party when he applied for
a U.S. visa in 2020 and again when seeking citizenship in 2023.
Alsheikh was able to secure a green card, making him a lawful
permanent U.S. resident, in 2020.
He was charged with attempted naturalization fraud and obtaining
a green card through false statements. Alsheiekh has not yet
entered a plea and is scheduled to make his next court
appearance on Aug. 16
(Reporting by Andrew Goudsward)
[© 2024 Thomson Reuters. All
rights reserved.]
Copyright 2022 Reuters. All rights reserved. This material may
not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
Thompson Reuters is solely responsible for this content.
|
|
