A former senior Syrian prison official, Samir Ousman Alsheikh, has been sentenced to 60 years in prison in the United States for his role in torturing detainees at a notorious Syrian prison and concealing his past from US immigration authorities.

Alsheikh, 74, was sentenced by a US federal court in Los Angeles after being convicted of conspiracy to commit torture, three counts of torture, visa fraud and attempted naturalisation fraud.

US prosecutors said Alsheikh served as head of Adra Prison, also known as Damascus Central Prison, between 2005 and 2008 during the administration of former Syrian President Bashar al-Assad.

According to evidence presented during the trial, detainees at the facility were subjected to severe physical abuse, particularly in an underground section known as Wing 13.

Prosecutors said prisoners were beaten, suspended from ceilings by their wrists and held in extremely small cells under harsh conditions.

Some detainees were also subjected to a torture device known as the “Flying Carpet,” which was used to forcibly bend prisoners' bodies.

Three former detainees testified during the trial, recounting the abuse they allegedly suffered and witnessed while Alsheikh was in charge of the prison.

The US Department of Justice said evidence showed that Alsheikh ordered prisoners to be taken to Wing 13 and was personally involved in the torture of detainees.

After leaving Syria, Alsheikh travelled to the United States and obtained legal residency in 2020.

Prosecutors said he deliberately concealed his previous position and involvement in the Syrian prison system when providing information to US immigration authorities. He later attempted to obtain US citizenship while continuing to conceal his past.

He was arrested at Los Angeles International Airport in July 2024 and remained in custody pending the outcome of his case.

During sentencing, US District Judge Hernán D. Vera described Alsheikh's conduct as extremely brutal and said the evidence established a pattern of severe abuse against detainees.

Prosecutors had sought a sentence of at least 80 years, while Alsheikh's lawyers asked the court to impose a five-year sentence, citing his age and medical condition.

His defence team has indicated that it intends to appeal the sentence.

US authorities described Alsheikh as the highest-ranking former member of the Assad regime to have been tried and convicted in person outside Syria.

The case was investigated by US federal authorities, including Homeland Security Investigations and the Federal Bureau of Investigation, with assistance from German authorities in locating and interviewing witnesses.

The prosecution also highlights the application of US laws that allow certain acts of torture committed abroad to be prosecuted when the alleged perpetrator is later found in the United States.