US charges two former Syrian officials for allegedly torturing Americans and Syrian nationals
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Syrians gather at Umayyad Square in Damascus on Monday to celebrate the end of 61 years of Baath Party rule. Emin Sansar / Anadolu via Getty Images
The United States has charged two former high-ranking Syrian intelligence officials with war crimes for allegedly torturing both American citizens and other civilians in a military detention facility during Syria’s brutal civil war, the Department of Justice announced on Monday.
Former Syrian air force intelligence officers Jamil Hassan, 72, and Abdul Salam Mahmoud, 65, are accused of overseeing operations at the Mezzeh Military Airport near Damascus, where detainees were subjected to extreme physical torture. According to U.S. prosecutors, these torture practices included beatings, electrocution, being hung by their wrists, acid burns, and the removal of toenails. The alleged crimes occurred between January 2012 and July 2019, a period marked by the devastating conflict that rocked Syria, which ultimately led to the fall of President Bashar al-Assad’s regime this past weekend.
The U.S. indictment reveals that Hassan, who led a network of detention facilities as the director of Syria’s air force intelligence, and Mahmoud, who managed operations at the Mezzeh prison, played central roles in orchestrating these atrocities. The two men are charged with conspiracy to commit war crimes through cruel and inhuman treatment. According to the indictment filed in federal court in Chicago, they created an environment of terror at Mezzeh Prison, targeting both Syrians and foreign nationals who were perceived as enemies of the Assad regime, including U.S. citizens.
These individuals were reportedly tortured because they were suspected of supporting the regime’s armed opposition. The U.S. Attorney General, Merrick Garland, emphasized the gravity of these actions in a statement, asserting that those responsible for the atrocities must face justice. “The perpetrators of the Assad regime’s atrocities against American citizens and other civilians during the Syrian civil war must answer for their heinous crimes,” Garland said.
Prosecutors revealed that detainees at Mezzeh Prison faced not only physical torture but also psychological abuse. They were allegedly forced to endure the screams of fellow prisoners, live in cells with the bodies of deceased detainees, and were threatened with the rape and murder of their families. Furthermore, detainees were denied essential needs like food, water, and medical care, which exacerbated their suffering.
Deputy Attorney General Lisa Monaco highlighted the significance of this case, noting that the U.S. government had successfully utilized a long-standing federal law to prosecute individuals responsible for war crimes against U.S. citizens. This marks the second time this year that the Justice Department has pursued charges against perpetrators of war crimes against Americans. The first was in 2023, when four Russian soldiers were charged for crimes against an American living in Ukraine during the Russian invasion.
FBI Director Christopher Wray stressed the FBI’s commitment to bringing alleged war criminals to justice, emphasizing that Hassan and Mahmoud allegedly oversaw systematic abuse at Mezzeh Prison, which included cruel and inhumane treatment of both Syrian and American detainees. “The FBI is fully committed to working with our law enforcement partners around the world to ensure these alleged war criminals are held accountable for their actions and justice is brought to the victims of these atrocities,” Wray said.
The Syrian civil war, which began in 2011, has had devastating consequences. According to the United Nations, more than 300,000 civilians have been killed, and millions have been displaced from their homes. The regime of Bashar al-Assad, which has been in power for over 50 years, is notorious for its use of torture, extra-judicial killings, and mass incarcerations. Many prisoners held in Syria’s infamous detention facilities disappeared without a trace, their fates sealed by the regime’s brutal tactics.
As the civil war raged on, videos showing prisoners being freed from the regime’s notorious detention facilities began circulating as rebel forces advanced toward Damascus. The fall of the Assad regime this past weekend, following years of bloody conflict, marks a significant shift in the country’s political landscape. Rebel fighters declared Damascus “liberated” in a televised statement, signaling the end of the Assad family’s decades-long grip on power. The regime’s collapse comes after more than 13 years of conflict, during which countless atrocities were committed by both sides.
The indictment of Hassan and Mahmoud underscores the U.S. government’s commitment to holding those responsible for war crimes accountable, regardless of their position or nationality. The Justice Department has vowed to continue its efforts to seek justice for the victims of these horrific crimes, and the case against these two former officials serves as a reminder that perpetrators of such abuses will not escape accountability.
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