U.S. District Judge Colleen Kollar-Kotelly has issued a landmark verdict against the Syrian Arab Republic, awarding American citizen Sam Goodwin $20 million in damages for his torture and detention during a 63-day captivity in the country’s prison system. The ruling, delivered under the Foreign Sovereign Immunities Act’s ‘state sponsor of terrorism’ exception, reflects a significant legal victory for the victim of human rights abuses and underscores the U.S. commitment to holding perpetrators of such atrocities accountable.
Goodwin, a St. Louis native and former Division I collegiate hockey player, was taken captive in 2019 while embarked on a years-long journey to visit every country in the world. His ordeal began when he entered war-torn Syria from Iraq, crossing into the country’s eastern region where he believed the U.S.-backed Kurds held authority. However, he was detained by men in military uniforms at a roundabout near his hotel while on a video call with his mother, Ann. The captors led him to the basement of a building that his lawyers later identified as Syria’s infamous Military Intelligence Branch 215, a facility known for imprisoning political prisoners. Over the next 27 days, Goodwin endured solitary confinement and severe interrogation, with allegations of torture by the ruling regime of former President Bashar al-Assad.
During his ordeal, Goodwin was interrogated by officers who threatened to hand him over to ISIS if he did not confess to espionage. His legal team has since described the treatment as systematic and brutal, emphasizing that his captors were aligned with the now-ousted Assad regime. The remaining 36 days of his captivity were spent in an unspecified location, though his release was eventually secured through the intervention of General Abbas Ibrahim, the former head of Lebanon’s security forces. Ibrahim was contacted by Joseph Abbas, the uncle of Goodwin’s sister’s friend and a former college roommate, who facilitated the rescue effort.
Goodwin’s family, including his mother Ann, played a crucial role in coordinating the international effort to secure his release, working in partnership with the FBI, CIA, State Department, and Vatican envoys. The case has drawn attention from U.S. officials, including the special presidential envoy for hostage affairs, as well as Middle Eastern experts. Goodwin has now described the court’s verdict not just as a personal victory, but as a powerful message to the global community that human rights abuses will not be ignored. ‘This judgment is about far more than what happened to me,’ he said, ‘It’s a stand for anyone who has suffered such violations and a warning that such crimes will not be tolerated or forgotten.’
The legal battle has also highlighted the broader implications of international justice, with Miller & Chevalier, the law firm representing Goodwin, having secured other judgments against Syria. Among these is a $50 million award for Kevin Dawes, a U.S. citizen who was similarly detained, tortured, and imprisoned in Syria. In July, the firm filed a new lawsuit on behalf of the family of Dr. Majd Kamalmaz, a psychotherapist and humanitarian who was detained in Damascus in 2017 and later killed. The case against Syria’s regime has drawn significant attention, particularly given the ongoing instability in the region and the potential for further legal actions against the government.
While the financial aspect of the judgment is managed through the U.S. Victims of State-Sponsored Terrorism Fund—funded by sanctions proceeds and other penalties—Goodwin may receive the awarded compensatory damages over several years, depending on the fund’s available resources. The case represents a rare example of the U.S. legal system addressing state-sponsored violence and its victims, though it also raises questions about the practicality of enforcing such verdicts against governments that refuse to comply with international law.
As the international community continues to grapple with the legacy of Assad’s regime and the aftermath of the Syrian civil war, the ruling has sparked renewed discussions about accountability, justice, and the role of legal mechanisms in addressing human rights violations. For Goodwin, the verdict represents both personal closure and a larger message of resilience and justice for countless victims of state violence worldwide.