CNN is investigating the identity of the man who the network reported was a Syrian prisoner who was released from a secret prison in CNN's name Cameras rolled After a local fact-finding group said he was in fact a murderer and torturer of Bashar al-Assad's regime.
Last week, CNN correspondent Clarissa Ward went viral when she covered the alleged rescue of a “Syrian prisoner,” who she reported spent “three months in a windowless cell” in one of the Assad regime’s secret prisons. wing Shoot it “One of the most extraordinary moments I have ever witnessed.” But some observers questioned the aforementioned account, as the man appeared well-groomed and in good condition for someone locked in a horrific prison who had allegedly not had food or water for several days.
CHECK-SY, A Syrian Press Organization Specializing in fact-checking and combating misinformation, on Sunday the prisoner was in fact Salama Muhammad Salama, also known as Abu Hamza, a first lieutenant in Syrian Air Force Intelligence famous for torturing young men.
CNN is investigating the identity of a man who the network said was a Syrian prisoner who was released from a secret prison while cameras were rolling.
Ward said in the clip that she was searching for traces of missing persons Journalist Austin Tice When she found a man hiding under a blanket inside a closed cell in a prison building at the Syrian Air Force Intelligence headquarters in Damascus. She said the guard, who was a rebel fighter, made the CNN crew turn off the cameras while he shot the lock on the cell door.
The man was under a blanket and did not move at first but eventually got to his feet, and Ward can briefly be seen in the clip breathing a sigh of relief.
The man appeared to be in good health, and Ward repeatedly told him he was “fine” as she offered him water while he held her arm. The rebel fighter told the man he was “free,” and the man said he had not heard from his family for three months. Ward stated that his captors fled with the fall of Damascus, and he remained without food or water for at least four days.
The man claimed that he did not know the notorious man Assad was overthrown By the armed group Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, which released people from prisons in Damascus where Assad was holding political opponents.
The man told CNN that his name is Adel Ghorbal, and that he is a civilian who was arrested three months ago and spent time in three different prisons while being regularly interrogated. But Verify-Sy, an affiliate of the Poynter Institute that also runs PolitiFact, reported that the man was providing false information.
Verify-Sy reported that the prisoner is actually Salama Muhammad Salama, also known as Abu Hamza, a first lieutenant in the Syrian Air Force Intelligence who is famous for torturing young men.
“The Verify-Sy team searched public records for the name “Adel Gharbal” to verify the circumstances and duration of his detention, but did not find any results. Gharbal, who claimed to be from Homs and whose accent supports this claim, prompted further investigation and the team discovered that his real name is “ Salama Muhammad Salama,” which revealed shocking details, as Salama, nicknamed “Abu Hamza,” is a first lieutenant in the Syrian Air Force Intelligence. Verify-Sy reported that residents of the Bayada neighborhood, known for its activities in Homs, He was frequently present at a checkpoint at the western entrance to the area, and is known for his violations.
Verify-Sy continued: “It was reported that Abu Hamza was running several security checkpoints in Homs and was involved in theft, extortion, and forcing residents to become informants.” According to residents, his most recent imprisonment, which lasted less than a month, was due to a dispute over sharing the profits of extorted money with a superior officer, which led to his detention in one of Damascus’s cells, according to sources in the neighborhood. “
The report said that Salama had a “dark history” and that he “participated in military operations on several fronts in Homs in 2014, killing civilians,” adding that he was “responsible for the arrest and torture of many young people in the city without reason or based on fabricated charges.” Fees.”
CNN correspondent Clarissa Ward offered the man water as the network's cameras rolled. (CNN/screenshot)
“Many of them were targeted simply for refusing to pay bribes, refusing to cooperate, or even for arbitrary reasons such as their appearance,” the report said. “These details were verified by families of the victims and former detainees who spoke with Verify-Sy.”
Verify-Sy continued, “As Syrians first and as journalists second, we have to ask.” He wondered, “Did CNN intentionally mislead its audience to rehabilitate the image of Abu Hamza, or did it fall victim to misinformation? If the latter, what led the network to make this mistake, especially since the Syrians succeeded in exposing the crimes and violations that the whole world witnessed.” Failure to document for decades?
CNN defended Ward's reporting but admitted the man may have provided a false identity.
A CNN spokesperson said: “No one other than the CNN team was aware of our plans to visit the prison building mentioned in our report that day.” Fox News Digital. “The events took place as they appear in our film. The decision to release the prisoner shown in our report was made by the guard – a Syrian revolutionary. We reported the scene as it happened, including what the prisoner told us, with clear attribution.”
“We subsequently investigated his background and realize he may have provided a false identity,” the CNN spokesperson continued. “We are continuing our reporting on this and the broader story.”
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CNN also added pinned commentary to its site YouTube video From the clip, which had 1.3 million views as of Monday morning.
“Since publication of this report, CNN has continued to look into the background of the prisoner featured in it. CNN now understands that he may have provided a false identity. We are continuing our reporting on this matter and the broader story,” the report read. .
Fox News Digital's Hannah Banrick contributed to this report.
