Position: Former Brigadier General Syrian Intelligence Apparatus; Former Head of Adra Central Prison; Former Governor and Head of Security Committee in Deir Ezzor
Association: The Assad Regime
Loyalty: Bashar al-Assad
Most Notorious Crimes:
- Ordered killings of peaceful protesters in Deir Ezzor (2011).
- Directed massacres and mass arrests with the Republican Guard.
- Oversaw torture and abuse at Adra Central Prison.
- Persecuted political activists and blocked international monitors.
Profile
Samir Othman al-Sheikh, from Idlib province in northwest Syria, was a Brigadier General in the Syrian regime’s intelligence apparatus. He held several positions in the Ministry of Interior, most notably as the head of Adra Central Prison, and the head of the Political Security Branch in Damascus countryside province. More generally, Al-Sheikh was one of the men of Maher al-Assad, Bashar al-Assad’s brother and leader of the 4th Armoured Division of the Syrian Army.
Al-Sheikh retired in 2011, but in July of the same year he was brought out of retirement and appointed as the governor and head of the Security Committee in Deir Ezzor. At that time, the population of Deir Ezzor had been holding revolutionary, peaceful demonstrations of more than half a million people.
Al-Sheikh’s reign in Deir Ezzor was marked by brutal violence against the Syrian people. Only days after his appointment, he ordered the security services to violently suppress peaceful demonstrations, leading to the killing of nine demonstrators in al-Huwayqah neighborhood. As another example of his brutality, while governing Deir Ezzor, Al-Sheikh directed all security services and the Republican Guard in the region to carry out a security operation that resulted in the killing of dozens of people and the arrest of hundreds others. He was known for his corruption and use of brutal torture methods, as well as pursuing political activists, impeding the work of international monitoring committees, and spreading disinformation in the province.
Prior to his arrest in 2024, Al-Sheikh resided in California with his family. He arrived in the US in 2013 or after. The Syrian Emergency Task Force was alerted to the presence of Othman Al-Sheikh in the US, and SETF immediately alerted the Commission for International Justice and Accountability (CIJA) and the FBI about Al-Sheikh, as well as provided documentation that has helped in US prosecution efforts against Al-Sheikh.
Al Sheikh was apprehended in late 2024 on visa fraud charges in the Los Angeles Airport as he has leaving for Lebanon on a one-way ticket. A few months later, he was charged with torture and crimes against humanity.
Identity
Full Name: Samir Othman al-Sheikh (سمير عثمان الشيخ)
Date of Birth: Unknown
Place of Birth: Idlib Governorate, northwest Syria
Nationality: Syrian
Career Timeline
Pre-2011: Longtime officer in Syria’s intelligence apparatus and Ministry of Interior; served as head of Adra Central Prison and in senior intelligence/political security postings (details and exact dates not publicly provided).
Early 2011: Retired from official duties.
July 2011: Recalled from retirement and appointed Governor and Head of the Security Committee in Deir ez-Zor during peak early protest activity.
2011: As Governor of Deir Ez-Zor, he directed regional security operations and coordinated Republican Guard and security services in large counter-protest operations.
2013 or later: Relocated to the United States with family; resided in California.
Late 2024: Apprehended at Los Angeles Airport on visa-fraud charges while attempting to travel to Lebanon.
2025 (months after arrest): Charged in U.S. proceedings with torture and crimes against humanity.
Crimes & Responsibilities
- Brutal Counter-Protest Operations (Deir ez-Zor, 2011): Ordered security services to violently suppress massive peaceful demonstrations; operations under his command resulted in multiple deaths (including at least nine demonstrators in al-Huwayqah neighborhood shortly after his appointment) and hundreds arrested.
- Large-Scale Security Offensives: Directed combined operations involving local security branches and the Republican Guard that led to dozens killed and mass arrests in the province.
- Detention & Torture Oversight: As former head of Adra Central Prison and an intelligence field commander, implicated in the use of torture, brutal interrogation methods, and systemic abuse of detainees.
Legal Proceedings & Sanctions
U.S. Arrest (Late 2024)
After the Syrian Emergency Task Force (SETF) alerted CIJA and the FBI to his presence in the U.S. and provided documentation used in subsequent investigations and prosecutions, he was apprehended at Los Angeles Airport on visa-fraud charges while attempting to depart for Lebanon.
Criminal Charges (2025)
Subsequently charged in U.S. proceedings with torture and crimes against humanity based on evidence and witness accounts; prosecutions proceeded with assistance from NGOs and investigative bodies.
Current Status/Whereabouts
In U.S. custody following late-2024 arrest; subsequently charged with torture and crimes against humanity
