CNN is investigating the identity of a man who, according to online reports, is a Syrian prisoner released from a secret prison. camera roll A local fact-checking group claimed he was actually a killer and torturer for Bashar al-Assad's regime.
CNN's Clarissa Ward drew widespread attention last week when she reported on the rescue of a "Syrian prisoner" who, she reported, was in Assa He "spent three months in a windowless cell" in a secret prison of the German regime. Ward call it "One of the most extraordinary moments I have ever witnessed." But some observers expressed doubts about this account because the man appeared to be well-dressed and in good health, which was unusual for a man who was locked up in a horrific prison and was said to have been. For people who have gone days without food or water.
verify-sy,a syrian press organization The agency, which specializes in fact-checking and combating misinformation, reported on Sunday that the prisoner was actually Salama Mohammed Salama, also known as Abu Hamza, a lieutenant in the Syrian Air Force Intelligence Directorate. Notorious for abusing young people.
CNN is investigating the identity of a man who, according to online reports, is a Syrian prisoner released from a secret prison.
Ward said in the clip that she was looking for signs of the missing person. Reporter Austin Tice She was in a prison building at the Syrian Air Force Intelligence Headquarters in Damascus when she spotted a man hiding under a blanket in a locked cell. She said the guard, a rebel fighter, told CNN crews to turn off the cameras while he knocked down the lock on the cell door.
The man, covered with a blanket, didn't move at first, but eventually stood up, and Ward can briefly be seen breathing a sigh of relief in the video.
The man appeared to be healthy and Ward repeatedly told him he was "okay" and she gave him water while he grabbed her arm. Rebel fighters told the man he was "free" and the man said he had not heard from his family in three months. Ward reported that his kidnappers fled as Damascus fell and that he had been without food or water for at least four days.
Man claims not to know notorious man Assad was ousted Militant group Hayat Tahrir al-Sham released people from Damascus prisons where Assad was holding political opponents.
The man told CNN his name is Adel Ghurbal, a civilian who was arrested three months ago and spent time in three different prisons for a period of time, while being interrogated regularly. But Verify-Sy, part of the Poynter Institute, reported that the man provided false information.
verify-SY reports that the prisoner is actually Salama Mohammad Salama, also known as Abu Hamza, a lieutenant in the Syrian Air Force Intelligence Directorate, Notorious for abusing young people.
"The Verify-Sy team searched for the name 'Adel Gharbal' in public records to verify the circumstances and duration of his detention, but found no results. Gharbal claimed to be from Homs, and his dialect supported this claim, prompting Police investigated further. A lieutenant from the Air Force Intelligence Service, notorious for his activities in Homs, reported.
"Abu Hamza reportedly ran multiple security checkpoints in Homs and was involved in theft, extortion and forcing residents to become informants," Verify-SY continued. "According to locals, his most recent imprisonment, which lasted less than a month, was due to a dispute with a senior official over the sharing of profits from extortion funds. This led to his detention in a cell in Damascus, according to local sources middle.
The report said Salama had a "cruel history" and "participated in military operations on multiple fronts in Homs in 2014, killing civilians," adding that he "detained and tortured many young people in the city without reason or fabrication." people". TOLL. "
CNN's Clarissa Ward offered the man water as cameras rolled. (CNN/Screenshot)
"Many were targeted simply because they refused to pay bribes, refused to cooperate, or even for arbitrary reasons such as appearance. These details were confirmed by family members of victims and former detainees who spoke to Verify-Sy," the report said.
"Syrians first, journalists second, we must ask," Verify-SY continued. "Did CNN intentionally mislead viewers in an effort to rehabilitate Abu Hamza's image, or did it fall victim to misinformation? If the latter, what led the network to make this mistake, especially when the Syrians successfully exposed everything the world Crimes and transgressions committed that went unrecorded for decades?
CNN defended Ward's reporting but acknowledged the man may have provided a false identity.
"No one other than the CNN team was aware of our plans to visit the prison complex mentioned in reports that day," a spokesperson told reporters. fox news numbers. "The events unfolded as they appear in our film. The decision to release the prisoner in our report was made by a Syrian rebel guard. We reported the entire scene, including what the prisoner told us, and had Clear provenance.
"We have subsequently been investigating his background and have become aware that he may have provided a false identity," a CNN spokesperson continued. "We are continuing to report on this incident and the broader story."
A video of the clip posted on X has attracted community attention.
CNN also added a pinned comment Youtube video As of Monday morning, the segment had been viewed 1.3 million times.
"Since this report was published, CNN has continued to investigate the background of the inmate involved. CNN now realizes he may have provided a false identity. We are continuing to report on this incident and more Extensive story," it reads. .
Fox News Digital's Hanna Panreck contributed to this report.