Former Syrian Prison Official Arrested in California for Fraud

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Samir Ousman al-Sheikh, a former Syrian military official, has been arrested in California on charges of attempting to obtain U.S. citizenship through fraudulent means. Al-Sheikh, who once oversaw one of Syria's most notorious prisons, is accused of lying about his involvement in political persecution and killings. His arrest came just before he was to board a one-way flight to Beirut.

 

Court documents reveal that al-Sheikh, a Los Angeles resident since 2020, attempted to naturalize fraudulently by denying his past actions at Syria’s infamous Adra prison. Known for torturing and executing political dissidents, Adra holds a grim reputation for human rights abuses. Federal investigators are contemplating additional charges against him.

 

Former National Security Council director for Syria, Andrew Tabler, likened al-Sheikh's case to that of Nazi war criminals seeking refuge abroad after World War II. "Adra prison is one of the crown jewels of the Assad regime’s gulags," Tabler remarked, highlighting the gravity of al-Sheikh’s actions.

 

The U.S. Justice Department has been actively pursuing accountability for the Syrian government's use of detention and torture. Investigations are ongoing into the 2016 death of American aid worker Layla Shweikani and the disappearance of journalist Austin Tice. Al-Sheikh is believed to have close ties to Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, whose regime employs violence and abductions to suppress dissent.

 

From 2005 to 2008, al-Sheikh managed Adra prison, located near Damascus, where detainees endured starvation, beatings, and executions. Five former inmates testified about al-Sheikh’s direct involvement in their torture. One described how guards, under al-Sheikh’s orders, broke his back. Another recounted how an inmate who aided him was brutally beaten in al-Sheikh’s office.

 

Following the outbreak of the Syrian civil war in 2011, al-Sheikh was appointed governor of Deir Ez-Zour Province, a region known for its protests against Assad. Al-Sheikh led violent crackdowns on demonstrators. Syrian activist Amjad Al Sary stated, "His appointment was not arbitrary. He was willing to kill, maim, and terrorize people."

 

Zyad al-Kadhem, a former provincial employee, detailed al-Sheikh's brutality, sharing evidence of his oppressive measures. Al-Kadhem narrowly escaped execution through his family's intervention. "My family paid all of their life savings so that my fate would not be the same as countless others," he said.

 

In 2017, al-Sheikh's wife, a naturalized U.S. citizen, petitioned for him to join her in Los Angeles. However, al-Sheikh allegedly lied on his visa application, denying any involvement in violence or persecution. He continued these falsehoods during his citizenship application process.

 

Mouaz Moustafa, executive director of the Syrian Emergency Task Force, alerted law enforcement to al-Sheikh's presence in the U.S. Moustafa provided evidence linking him to Syrian government atrocities, ensuring that his crimes did not remain hidden.

The arrest of Samir Ousman al-Sheikh underscores ongoing efforts to hold perpetrators of war crimes accountable, even as they attempt to seek refuge abroad.

 

Credit: NYT 2024-07-19

 

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[Tug]

What a nasty individual hope he gets serious time or perhaps deported to a country that will deal with him appropriately…….if ya catch my drift

[cncltd1973]

that's good news, glad the filtering process worked. I would do one better and not accept Muslim males unless they renounce Islam or are otherwise assured they will accept western values and liberties among men and women

[john donson]

the rest of the 50.000 a day illegals crossing the borders, many gang members, have no problems