A Washington, D.C. law firm has won a judgment exceeding $20 million against Syria on behalf of Sam Goodwin, a St. Louis native. Goodwin was held captive for 63 days in a Syrian prison while attempting to visit every country in the world.

U.S. District Court Judge Colleen Kollar-Kotelly awarded Goodwin $20,201,620 in damages, allocating roughly $10 million each for compensatory and punitive damages. The lawsuit was filed under the Foreign Sovereign Immunities Act’s “state sponsor of terrorism” exception.

Approximately half of the judgment could be paid through the U.S. Victims of State-Sponsored Terrorism Fund, which is funded by penalties. Goodwin may receive a percentage of the compensatory damages over time, depending on the fund’s balance.

“Nations that violate international human rights must be held accountable. Courageous survivors like Sam help ensure the world acknowledges the atrocities committed by the Assad regime,” stated Kirby Behre, a member of Miller & Chevalier’s litigation department and Goodwin’s lead counsel.

“While complete compensation for Sam’s suffering is impossible, this judgment marks a significant step in confronting those responsible for Syria’s action.”

Goodwin entered war-torn Syria from Iraq in 2019 as part of his years-long journey to visit every country.

He stayed in Qamishli, a city on the Turkey-Syria border, believing it was under the control of U.S.-backed Kurds.

The former college hockey player was detained by men in military uniforms at a roundabout near his hotel while on a FaceTime call with his mother, Ann.

“I was taken to the basement of a facility now known as Syria’s Military Intelligence Branch 215, notorious for housing political prisoners. I was held in solitary confinement there for 27 days,” Goodwin said last year before his book release, “Saving Sam: The True Story of an American’s Disappearance in Syria and His Family’s Extraordinary Fight to Bring Him Home.”

“My only human contact was for a few seconds each morning and evening when guards brought bread, boiled potatoes, and water.”

His lawyers stated that he was tortured at Branch 215 by the regime of Bashar al-Assad and subjected to lengthy interrogation. Goodwin’s interrogator threatened to turn him over to ISIS after he denied accusations of being a spy.

His release was secured by General Abbas Ibrahim, then Lebanon’s top security official, who connected with the family through Joseph Abbas, the uncle of Goodwin’s sister’s friend and former college roommate.

His family worked extensively with the FBI, CIA, State Department, the special presidential envoy for hostage affairs, Vatican envoys, Middle East experts, and others to secure his release.

“This judgment is about more than just me. It represents a stand for all victims of human rights abuses worldwide. I hope it inspires other victims to speak out and serves as a warning that such crimes will not be tolerated or forgotten,” Goodwin told Digital in a statement.

Miller & Chevalier has obtained other judgments against Syria, including a $50 million judgment in 2023 for Kevin Dawes, another American citizen illegally arrested, imprisoned, and tortured in Syria.

In July, the firm filed a lawsuit on behalf of a psychotherapist and humanitarian detained at a government checkpoint in Damascus, Syria, in 2017, accusing Syria of abduction, torture, and murder.

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