U.S. prosecutors have indicted two senior Syrian officials, accusing them of overseeing torture and inhumane treatment at a notorious Damascus prison during the Syrian civil war. The indictment, unsealed Monday, comes days after a surprise rebel offensive toppled President Bashar Assad’s regime, scattering his government and sparking renewed efforts to uncover atrocities.
The Indictment: First U.S. Charges Against Syrian Officials
Filed on November 18 in a federal court in Chicago, the indictment charges Jamil Hassan, head of the Syrian Air Force Intelligence Branch, and Abdul Salam Mahmoud, the prison’s overseer, with conspiring to commit cruel and inhuman treatment of detainees.
Prosecutors allege that prisoners at Mezzeh Air Force Base endured whipping, electrocution, burning, and other physical and psychological abuses. Some were housed in cells alongside corpses of fellow detainees. Victims included Syrians, dual citizens, and at least one American.
This marks the first U.S. indictment targeting members of Assad’s network of intelligence and military operatives, accused of orchestrating widespread human rights violations over the past 13 years.
The Case of Layla Shweikani
Among the victims highlighted in the indictment is 26-year-old American aid worker Layla Shweikani. According to witnesses, Shweikani was tortured at Mezzeh in 2016 before being transferred to Saydnaya military prison, where Syrian rights groups believe she was executed.
The U.S.-based Syrian Emergency Task Force, which has advocated for federal action, presented critical witness testimony about Shweikani’s ordeal. “Now it is our time to capture these criminals and bring them to the United States for trial,” said Mouaz Moustafa, leader of the group, who revealed his own relatives were tortured at the same prison.
Global Efforts to Address Syrian Atrocities
The U.S., United Nations, and other international bodies have long accused Assad’s regime of war crimes and crimes against humanity. The Syrian civil war, which began in 2011 as a peaceful uprising, devolved into a brutal conflict that has claimed over 500,000 lives.
Monday’s indictment aligns with growing efforts to hold Assad’s regime accountable for widespread human rights abuses. The fall of Assad’s government over the weekend has intensified the search for survivors and evidence at the country’s infamous prison torture centers.
Uncertain Path to Justice
While arrest warrants have been issued for Hassan and Mahmoud, they remain at large, and their capture is uncertain. The chaos following Assad’s ousting has left his regime fractured, and the U.S. lacks custody of the indicted officials.
“Bringing these individuals to trial is a complex and uncertain process, but it is an important step toward justice for the countless victims of their crimes,” said a spokesperson for federal prosecutors.
