She gives him a drink and holds his hand: CNN journalist Clarissa Ward claims to have freed a man in the Syrian torture prison Saidnaya. Now the supposed victim turns out to be a notorious perpetrator.
No time? blue News summarizes for you
- CNN journalist Clarissa Ward caused a stir with a report from Syria's notorious Saidnaya Prison.
- The British-American dual citizen appears to have freed a jailed man days after leaving the prison.
- The video of the process has sowed doubts on social networks: these are the reasons.
- A website now claims to have discovered that the man is not the victim Adel Gharbal, but the perpetrator Mohammad Salama.
- Salama is an officer in the Syrian Air Force and is allegedly responsible for torture and murder.
“In almost 20 years as a journalist, this was one of the most extraordinary moments I have experienced,” writes Clarissa Ward on December 12th. The London-born journalist visited the Syrian torture prison Saidnaya for CNN. But the report that so touched the 44-year-old is now being criticized.
What happened? Ward is with a soldier in Saidnaya. The door to one of the cells is still locked. The soldier opens the lock and the duo enters the room. There is a blanket in it, from under which a man emerges.
Ward believed she had freed a prisoner who had not drunk in days and had not seen sunlight in three months. The British-American dual citizen gives the supposed inmate a drink, takes the man by the hand and leads him outside. “My God, there is the light,” says the man in the open air – and praises Allah.
Reasonable doubt
But doubts quickly began to arise on social networks after publication. Considering the man hasn't had anything to drink for days, it's relatively short-lived. Although he claims he hasn't seen daylight for three months, he looked up without any problems. And he is accompanied by a soldier, not a doctor.
What is surprising is that the cell was still locked days after the prison was liberated. Other details don't fit into the picture either – from the surprisingly tidy cell to the overall seemingly good physical condition to the trimmed nails and hair, the protagonist doesn't look like he's a victim.
Now there are increasing signs that “Adel Gharbal” from Homs is not who he says he is. The Verify-Sy website searches for the name but cannot find it. But research reveals who the alleged victim really is: a perpetrator named Salama Mohammad Salama.
Infamous officer in Assad's air force
The Syrian is called Abu Hamza: He is apparently a first lieutenant in the Syrian Air Force and notorious in Homs. Residents of a neighborhood identify him – and report that he is known for his violence at the checkpoints in the area. Salama is said to have imprisoned, tortured – and even killed – many civilians.
Verify-Sy knows that many of his victims were targeted because they did not want to pay bribes. Some people also came into his focus because of their appearance. The website has spoken to relatives of his victims who confirm the facts. However, “Verify-Sy” does not publish the statements out of concern for the safety of the sources.
Now the question is whether CNN knew about this background or at least turned a blind eye to it. Clarissa Ward herself has not yet commented on the commotion, but only announced via X that the “prisoner” had been picked up by a relative.
