CNN faces backlash over ‘staged’ Syrian prisoner rescue report
Al JazeeraCriticism mounts as US news channel backtracks on identity of Syrian prisoner who provided a false name and worked as an intelligence officer in the Assad regime. The video, aired on Thursday, shows CNN’s Clarissa Ward and her team, accompanied by an opposition fighter, reporting from a secret prison in the capital, Damascus, and stumbling upon a “hidden prisoner”. Heads should roll… https://t.co/oUBuGVJmZ8 — Christian Henderson December 17, 2024 The man, who identified himself in the video as Adel Gharbal from Homs, was revealed to be Salama Mohammad Salama, according to the Syrian fact-checking platform Verify Sy on Sunday – an assertion later confirmed by CNN’s own investigation. A community note shared under Ward’s post on X, where she called it “one of the most extraordinary moments” of her career, now reads: “His real name is Salama Mohammad Salama. One user highlighted Salama’s “perfectly manicured nails”, “clean clothes” and overall well-groomed look, casting doubts about the truth behind the network’s widely shared video.
History of this topic
A CNN team rescued a ‘prisoner’ from Syrian jail. Now, the outlet admits he was an Assad torturer
The Independent
Prisoner freed by CNN in Syria was member of Assad’s forces who killed civilians and tortured innocent men: Report
Hindustan Times
CNN frees Syrian prisoner. He turns out to be Assad regime's torturer: Report
India Today
Syria: Freed prisoner who said he was a victim of the Assad regime was an intelligence officer, locals say
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