U.S. prosecutors have filed an indictment accusing two senior Syrian officials of overseeing a torture center that targeted peaceful protesters, including a 26-year-old American woman who was reportedly executed. The indictment was released following a rebel offensive that ousted Syrian President Bashar Assad, who has been accused by the U.S., U.N., and others of committing widespread human rights abuses during his 13-year campaign to suppress opposition forces.
The conflict in Syria, which initially began as a nonviolent uprising in 2011, has resulted in the deaths of approximately half a million people. The indictment, filed on Nov. 18 in a federal court in Chicago, marks the U.S. government's first legal action against networks associated with Assad's intelligence services and military branches that were allegedly involved in the detention, torture, and killing of thousands of perceived adversaries.
The indictment specifically names Jamil Hassan, the director of the Syrian air force's intelligence branch, who is said to have overseen a prison and torture center at the Mezzeh air force base in Damascus, as well as Abdul Salam Mahmoud, who allegedly managed the prison. The victims of the torture and abuse included Syrian nationals, Americans, and individuals holding dual citizenship.
One prominent case highlighted in the indictment is that of Layla Shweikani, a 26-year-old American aid worker who was reportedly tortured at the Mezzeh air force base prison in 2016. Syrian rights groups believe that Shweikani was subsequently executed at the Saydnaya military prison located in the suburbs of Damascus.
The current whereabouts of the two accused Syrian officials are unknown, and it remains uncertain whether they will be brought to trial. The recent overthrow of Assad by rebel forces has led to the disarray of his government, prompting citizens to search various prison facilities across the country for survivors and evidence of the atrocities committed.
