CNN’s Syrian prisoner report slammed as ‘fake news’

CNN’s widely publicised report featuring journalist Clarissa Ward freeing a prisoner from a secret Syrian facility has come under fire after a local fact-checking outlet identified the man as a notorious enforcer for Bashar al-Assad’s regime.

The network’s dramatic footage, which went viral last week, depicted Ward and a camera crew discovering the prisoner under a blanket in a windowless cell.

The man, claiming to be “Adel Ghurbal,” insisted he had been detained for months, unaware the regime had collapsed. However, independent fact-checkers Verify-Sy revealed on Sunday that the prisoner is actually Salama Mohammad Salama, also known as “Abu Hamza,” a former first lieutenant in Syria’s air force intelligence with a history of war crimes, including extortion, torture, and civilian killings.

Verify-Sy’s investigation cast further doubt on the narrative, noting Salama’s healthy appearance and lack of visible trauma, inconsistent with claims of prolonged solitary confinement.

Locals alleged Salama had been detained not as a political prisoner but over a financial dispute with an officer.

CNN, while acknowledging ongoing verification of the man’s background, denied fabricating the events, stating, “The events transpired as they appear in our film.”

The controversy has reignited scrutiny of Clarissa Ward’s past reporting, with critics resurfacing allegations of staged segments in conflict zones, including Israel-Gaza and Sudan.

“You’re okay, you’re okay.”

A remarkable moment as CNN’s @clarissaward and her team find a Syrian prisoner left behind in a secret prison, alone and unaware the Assad regime was no more. pic.twitter.com/Cz6TBWHvts

— Lauren Cone (@LConeCNN) December 11, 2024

Although I hate the Assad regime. I will never forget that CNN’s Clarissa Ward also faked getting kidnapped by an armed group in Sudan and before that also faked coming under direct fire by Hamas.

She’s determined to make herself the centre of every story she covers. https://t.co/dgXJYXDqtb pic.twitter.com/w3WGPJwK3v

— Yusuf (@TurtleYusuf) December 12, 2024

Stunned by CNN Clarissa Ward’s Oscar-worthy performance in ‘freeing’ a Syrian prisoner in a building that had been captured days earlier?

Here’s a reminder of when she faked being shot at by Hamas to manufacture consent for the Gaza genocide pic.twitter.com/kyh6GGiKoN

— Going Underground (@GUnderground_TV) December 12, 2024