US Sentences Ex-head of Syrian Prison to 60 Years on Torture Chargeshttps://english.aawsat.com/arab-world/5319671-us-sentences-ex-head-syrian-prison-60-years-torture-charges
US Sentences Ex-head of Syrian Prison to 60 Years on Torture Charges
File photo: Aleppo central prison. AAWSAT AR
The former head of a notorious Syrian prison was sentenced by a US federal judge on Thursday to 60 years in prison for torture and immigration fraud, according to the Department of Justice (DOJ).
Samir Ousman Alsheikh, 74, who has been in the US since 2020, allegedly ran Damascus Central Prison -- known colloquially as Adra Prison -- from approximately 2005 to 2008, where detainees were subjected to horrific abuse in the "Punishment Wing”, AFP said.
A jury found Alsheikh guilty in March of "one count of conspiracy to commit torture, three counts of torture, one count of visa fraud, and one count of attempted naturalization fraud," according to the DOJ.
Three former prisoners testified during the trial about the abuse they suffered at the hands of Alsheikh, as well as the torture inflicted on other prisoners.
"The conviction in this case is a testament to the courage of his victims," Assistant US Attorney General A. Tysen Duva said in a statement.
In addition to the torture charges, Alsheikh was found guilty of immigration fraud after he lied about his past to gain entry to the United States in 2020.
"The message is clear: human rights violators who come to the United States will receive no safe harbor here," Duva added.
"We will find them, and they will be prosecuted and punished for their heinous crimes."
A coalition of the opposition toppled Bashar al-Assad's government in late 2024, and after the collapse, Syrians flocked to prisons searching for missing loved ones.
Al-Zaidi’s Regional Visits Aim to Reshape Iraq’s Foreign Relations
Iraqi Prime Minister Ali Al-Zaidi at the headquarters of the Iraqi Intelligence Service on October 29, 2026. (INA)
Iraqi Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi is preparing to visit Kuwait and Bahrain this week as part of a diplomatic drive to reshape relations with neighboring countries, following trips to Saudi Arabia, Jordan, Syria, Türkiye and Iran, according to a government source.
Political assessments in Baghdad suggest his visits to Saudi Arabia and Jordan were aimed at building trust with both countries’ leaders following a series of attacks by armed factions operating in Iraq.
Al-Zaidi offered assurances that such attacks would not happen again, as efforts to bring weapons under state control continue despite opposition from some factions and attempts to delay implementation. The process is expected to be completed by June 2027.
In Türkiye, talks focused on the transit of Iraqi oil through the port of Ceyhan, the Development Road project and longstanding water disputes.
Old disputes and new prospects
As political circles await the upcoming Gulf visits, reports indicate that longstanding disputes between Baghdad and Kuwait will dominate one set of talks, while minority issues will feature on the Bahrain agenda.
An informed source told reporters that discussions would address maritime border demarcation, the Mubarak al-Kabeer Port project and its impact on Iraq’s Grand Faw Port, alongside security concerns and regional stability.
The source added that the Bahrain visit would focus on de-escalation to maintain security in the region, noting that Al-Zaidi had previously discussed the agenda for both trips with leaders of Iraq’s Coordination Framework alliance.
The prime minister’s recent diplomatic engagements included a July 28, 2026, visit to Türkiye, where he met President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, followed by talks with Prince Mohammed bin Salman, Saudi Crown Prince and Prime Minister, on October 14 and Jordan’s King Abdullah II on October 26.
On October 28, he traveled to Damascus for talks with Syrian President Ahmad Al-Sharaa on bilateral relations and ways to strengthen political, economic and security cooperation.
Iraq's Prime Minister Ali Al-Zaidi meets Syrian President Ahmad Al-Sharaa in Damascus, Syria, October 28, 2026. (Iraqi Prime Minister's Media Office/Handout via Reuters)
Pivotal visits
The Syria trip was particularly significant, marking the first by an Iraqi prime minister since the overthrow of Bashar Al-Assad’s regime in 2024 and the establishment of a new administration under Al-Sharaa, developments followed by political and sectarian complications.
According to observers, the meeting helped ease mutual concerns and address shared challenges, particularly border security amid the presence of ISIS cells on both sides of the frontier.
The two leaders also discussed the possibility of restarting the Iraqi oil pipeline through Syria’s port of Baniyas.
Al-Zaidi’s visit to Iran, meanwhile, appeared to extend beyond bilateral relations, fueling speculation in Iraqi political circles that he may have conveyed firm US messages to Tehran, particularly as the trip followed his visit to Washington in July.
Regional alignments and political settlements
Former Iraqi lawmaker and Azm Alliance leader Haidar Al-Mulla told Asharq Al-Awsat that Iraq remained more affected by regional conflicts than capable of influencing their outcome.
“The region is experiencing a state of conflict, and Iraq has no influence over this international equation. It is not part of the equation of political settlements but is affected by what is happening,” he said.
He described the prime minister’s diplomatic outreach as a positive step toward keeping Iraq out of competing regional blocs.
This handout picture released by the Jordanian Royal Palace shows Jordan's King Abdullah II receiving Iraq's Prime Minister Ali Al-Zaidi in Amman on October 26, 2026. (Jordanian Royal Palace / AFP)
“The prime minister’s shuttle visits are positive steps that put the state on the right path,” he noted.
“Iraq intends to open channels of dialogue with its Arab and non-Arab neighbors. This is a positive step that distances us from the alignments currently taking shape in the region.”
Essam Al-Faili, a political science professor at Al-Mustansiriya University, told Asharq Al-Awsat that Al-Zaidi was seeking balanced relations with countries across the region, drawing on Iraq’s geopolitical importance and economic potential to expand its international engagement.
“Al-Zaidi wants to establish strategic relations with Arab countries primarily through shared economic interests,” he said.
“He recognizes Iraq’s importance to the Gulf states, which could eventually contribute to its reintegration into the Gulf system.”
Al-Faili argued that Iraq should contribute to regional stability in the postwar period, particularly as competing alliances and political blocs have become more pronounced.
He said the prime minister was determined to distance Baghdad from such alignments and had succeeded in curbing the influence of Iran’s regional proxies.
“This ultimately sends a message to the Gulf states that Iraqi decision-making will carry weight, helping strengthen relations with all Arab countries,” he remarked.
Israeli Strikes Kill Three People in Gaza, Medics Sayhttps://english.aawsat.com/arab-world/5336513-israeli-strikes-kill-three-people-gaza-medics-say
The sun sets over the ruins of the Sheikh Radwan neighborhood of Gaza City on October 31, 2026. (AFP)
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Israeli Strikes Kill Three People in Gaza, Medics Say
The sun sets over the ruins of the Sheikh Radwan neighborhood of Gaza City on October 31, 2026. (AFP)
Israeli strikes killed at least three Palestinians and wounded several others in the Gaza Strip on Monday, the territory's health officials said.
Medics said two people were killed and six others wounded in two separate airstrikes in Khan Younis, south of the enclave, while a third person was killed in an Israeli airstrike in the town of Al-Mussadar.
The Israeli military didn't immediately comment on any of the attacks.
Israel, which says the Hamas group has been rearming and launching attacks in violation of a year-old ceasefire, has stepped up strikes on the group in recent weeks.
Hamas has denied trying to carry out attacks or rebuild its arsenal and accuses Israel of undermining the Gaza peace deal.
Last year's US-brokered ceasefire calls for eventual reconstruction of the territory. But little progress has been made as negotiators have failed to agree on terms for Hamas to disarm or Israel to withdraw its troops, who control about two-thirds of the territory where they have ordered residents out.
Nearly all of the more than 2 million residents live in the remaining third of the enclave among war ruins, mostly in makeshift tents and damaged buildings, still under effective control of Hamas.
At least 1,580 Palestinians have been killed in Israeli attacks in Gaza since the ceasefire, according to the territory's health officials, while Israel says four soldiers have been killed.
Palestinian authorities say more than 74,000 people have been killed in Israel's assault on Gaza, launched after Hamas-led fighters killed about 1,200 people in southern Israel on October 7, 2023.
A source in Syria’s intelligence revealed to SANA on Sunday that a terrorist plot targeting the Homs refinery in central Syria has been thwarted.
The Homs refinery, along with the Baniyas refinery, plays a crucial role in securing petroleum derivatives for the domestic market. Last October, atmospheric distillation unit "10" was rehabilitated and maintained, with a design capacity of one million tons of crude oil annually. This boosts the refinery's capacity to produce petroleum derivatives and supports the availability of diesel, fuel oil, and kerosene in the local market.
Authorities did not reveal who was behind the plot.
The current refinery comprises four production units based on atmospheric distillation, alongside a naphtha upgrading project to produce high-octane gasoline that meets domestic market needs.
Some units are currently operational, while maintenance and commissioning work are being finalized on two other units in preparation for launch. This will bring the refinery's operational capacity to approximately 60,000 to 70,000 barrels per day of petroleum derivatives.
Established in 1959, the Homs Refinery General Company is one of the oldest oil facilities in Syria, though its efficiency has declined over time. Yousef Qablawi, CEO of the Syrian Petroleum Company, said last year that the company is currently working on constructing a new refinery 51 kilometers away from the city of Homs.
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