A former Syrian military official, Samir Ousman al-Sheikh, who oversaw the notorious Adra Prison from 2005 to 2008 under Bashar al-Assad's regime, has been charged with multiple counts of torture and conspiracy to commit torture. The charges come after his arrest in July on visa fraud charges.
Al-Sheikh, 72, was detained at Los Angeles International Airport for immigration fraud, as he allegedly failed to disclose his involvement in human rights abuses in Syria on his US visa and citizenship applications. He had purchased a one-way ticket to Beirut, Lebanon, before his arrest.
