Setting a historic judicial precedent against international war crimes and human rights violations, a United States federal court has sentenced former senior Syrian army officer Samir Osman Alsheikh to six decades (60 years) of rigorous imprisonment. This historic punishment has been given to Alsheikh in connection with serious cases of inhumane physical and mental torture of helpless political prisoners, dissidents and civilians held in notorious detention centers during the brutal rule of former Syrian President Bashar al-Assad. This decision, delivered in the Federal Court in Los Angeles, California, has emerged as a great ray of justice for the countless victims who suffered unbearable cruelty in the secret dungeons of the Assad regime. Horrible past of Adra Central Prison: Convicted in three serious cases of conspiracy of torture and barbarity. After a long and intense hearing in the federal court of Los Angeles, the jury found former Syrian military officer Samir Osman Alsheikh guilty of inhumane treatment while working as the chief in-charge of the infamous 'Adra Central Prison' located near the capital Damascus between 2005 and 2008. Held primarily responsible for the crimes. In March itself, an impartial jury found Alsheikh guilty of one major count of criminal conspiracy to commit organized torture against prisoners and three separate serious counts of direct torture. The prosecution, through documentary evidence, forensic medical reports and eyewitness accounts, irrefutably proved that under Alsheikh's direct supervision, prisoners in government custody were subjected to horrific methods that constitute serious war crimes under international conventions. 'Unimaginably cruel and barbaric': US federal judge made harsh remarks while handing down the sentence. Ordering Alsheikh to be sent behind bars till the end of his life, the US federal judge recorded extremely harsh and emotional remarks. The presiding judge of the court, in announcing the sentence, said that the conduct carried out by the accused was disgusting, unimaginably cruel and violent and barbaric almost beyond words. The court underlined that such blatant abuse of power under the guise of any sovereign state is a direct attack on human civilization and universal values. The judicial bench made it clear that this harsh sentence of 60 years is not only a just account of the brutal acts of the convict, but it is also a clear warning to all those military commanders and rulers around the world who take pride in oppressing their own people and hiding on foreign soil. Millions of civilians disappearing in secret dungeons: Assad government exposed in reports of UN and human rights organizations This harsh punishment given to Samir Osman Alsheikh confirms the Syrian government's widespread and organized system of repression, about which global organizations have been raising their voice for years. Reputable human rights organizations such as Amnesty International, Human Rights Watch, and United Nations (UN) special commissions of inquiry have repeatedly underlined in their detailed reports that government security agencies continue to arbitrarily detain people on a large scale under the regime of Bashar al-Assad. Thousands of political prisoners, journalists, activists and peaceful protesters have been held in secret in various prisons across Syria for years without due process of law or official charge, and subjected to horrific third-degree torture. Among these victims, there is a large number whose families have not been informed till date whether their loved ones are alive or have been buried forever in the dark cells of the jail due to torture. The Scope of International Justice: The Legal Crackdown on War Criminals Beyond Foreign Borders The Alsheikh case is a great example of the growing influence of international jurisprudence and American human rights law. When the former military officer arrived in the United States after decades of enjoying the power of the Syrian regime, he thought his past was buried in the files. However, the Human Rights and Special Prosecution Section of the US Department of Justice (DOJ) built a strong legal case with the support of Syrian civil society and surviving witnesses of torture. This case has proved that crimes against humanity have no geographical boundaries or time limits. This judicial process of holding war criminals accountable in foreign courts has sent a strong message globally that executioners who shed the blood of innocents in protection of power cannot escape the long hand of justice in any corner of the world.
