[Karah Rucker]
A SYRIAN GUARD WILL FACE TORTURE CHARGES IN A CALIFORNIA COURTROOM NEARLY 20 YEARS AFTER HIS REPORTED CRIMES.
THE ALLEGATIONS BEING DESCRIBED BY PROSECUTORS AS “CHILLING” AND “HEINOUS”
SAMIR OUSMAN ALSHEIKH MOVED TO THE U-S IN 2020 AND WAS LIVING IN SOUTH CAROLINA…BUT BEFORE STARTING A NEW CHAPTER IN AMERICA…COURT DOCUMENTS SAY THE FORMER PRISON GUARD LED THE DAMASCUS CENTRAL PRISON.
A FEDERAL GRAND JURY INDICTED THE 72 YEAR-OLD THURSDAY FOR TORTURING PRISONERS WHO OPPOSED SYRIA’S FORMER PRESIDENT BASHAR AL ASSAD.
THE CHARGES COME AS REBELS OVERTURNED ASSAD’S GOVERNMENT AND CONDEMNED THE YEARS OF TORTURE THOUSANDS FACED WHILE IMPRIOSNED.
THE ALLEGATIONS DATE BACK TO 2005, WHEN U-S OFFICIALS SAID ALSHEIKH HAD A HAND IN CAUSING “SEVERE PHYSICAL AND MENTAL PAIN”
OVER THE COURSE OF THREE YEARS, HE ALLEGEDLY SENT PRISONERS TO WHAT WAS CALLED “THE PUNISHMENT WING.” THEY WERE THEN BEATEN WHILE THEIR BODIES WERE HUNG FROM THE CEILING…SOMETIMES FRACTURING THEIR SPINES
THE JUSTICE DEPARTMENT SAID THESE CHARGES SHOW THE U-S WILL NOT ALLOW WAR CRIMINALS TO ESCAPE ACCOUNTABILITY. “The victims of such violent treatment continue to suffer long after the physical acts of torture have ceased.”
LAW ENFORCEMENT WAS FIRST ALERTED TO ALSHEIKH WHEN HE WAS ARRESTED AT THE LOS ANGELES AIRPORT ON SEPARATE CHARGES. PROSECUTORS SAID ALSHEIKH HID HIS PREVIOUS EMPLOYMENT AS A PRISON GUARD WHEN APPLYING FOR U-S CITIZENSHIP AND A GREEN CARD.
IF CONVICTED, ALSHEIKH COULD SPEND UP TO FIFTY YEARS IN PRISON FOR MULTLIPLECOUNTS OF TORTURE, IMMIGRATION FRAUD AND CONSPIRARY TO COMMIT TORTURE.
HIS LAWYERS SAID HE DENIES THE CHARGES, CALLING THEM FALSE AND POLITICALLY MOTIVATED.
FOR STRAIGHT ARROW NEWS, I’M KARAH RUCKER.
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