A former Syrian military official, Samir Ousman Alsheikh, is set to receive a sentence in Los Angeles for his role in torturing prisoners during the regime of Syrian President Bashar Assad. A federal judge will determine his punishment, which could last for decades. Alsheikh was found guilty in March of one count of conspiracy to commit torture and three counts of torture while overseeing Syria’s Adra Prison from about 2005 to 2008. Human rights organizations and United Nations officials have long accused the Syrian government of severe abuses in detention centers, including torture and detaining people without due process. During his trial, prosecutors said Alsheikh, who was in charge of Adra Prison, sent prisoners to a section where they were held in isolation and subjected to torture. Three victims testified about the brutal treatment they endured, including beatings while suspended from pipes on the ceiling and the use of a device that folded their bodies in half at the waist. One victim said Alsheikh stomped on the device with his foot, according to the U.S. Department of Justice. Prosecutors argued in a sentencing memo that Alsheikh was fully aware of the wrongfulness of his actions but ordered and participated in the torture because he had the power to do so and believed he would never be held accountable. The memo included statements from victims, including Nidal Shikhani, who said he can still hear the screams of others begging for mercy, repeating, “Leave me, leave me.” Alsheikh’s defense attorneys, Nina Marino and Collin Cate, have asked for a five-year sentence, citing that he is 74 years old and has “significant medical and cognitive conditions.” They also said he is willing to be deported to Syria, where a new government has sought to hold former members of the Assad regime accountable. In a September 3 memo, they argued that the desire to “send a message” should not be the foundation of a just sentence. Alsheikh came to the U.S. in 2020 and applied for citizenship, but prosecutors claim he hid his involvement in torture. Federal authorities detained him at Los Angeles International Airport in July 2024. Jurors also convicted Alsheikh in March of lying to U.S. immigration authorities, fraudulently obtaining a green card, and attempting to naturalize as a U.S. citizen. The case has drawn attention to the legal and ethical challenges of prosecuting individuals for crimes committed abroad, especially when those crimes are part of a larger pattern of human rights violations. The sentencing will be a significant moment in the ongoing pursuit of justice for victims of the Syrian conflict.