Former Syrian Prison Director Indicted in U.S. on Torture Charges

The 72-year-old, accused of overseeing and participating in severe abuse at Damascus' Adra Prison from 2005 to 2008, was arrested in Los Angeles earlier this year.

The U.S. Justice Department has charged a former Syrian prison director with ordering and personally participating in the torture of detainees at Adra Prison in Damascus during his tenure from 2005 to 2008.
Victims were subjected to brutal methods, including beatings while suspended and the use of a device known as the 'flying carpet,' which caused severe pain and spinal injuries.
The accused reportedly targeted political dissidents and others to suppress opposition to the Assad regime, which was recently overthrown in Syria following a rebel offensive.
The man, who entered the U.S. in 2020 and applied for citizenship in 2023, was arrested in July at Los Angeles International Airport while attempting to travel to Lebanon.
He faces additional allegations of visa and naturalization fraud, with his attorneys denying all charges brought against him.

Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung