CNN is facing a wave of criticism after airing an emotional segment about a man allegedly freed from a Syrian prison.
The man who pretended to be a prisoner turned out to be a notorious intelligence officer under Bashar al-Assad’s regime.
Man is Identified
The man, initially identified as “Adel Ghurbal,” claimed he had been imprisoned and tortured for three months.
However, a fact-checking group, Verify-Sy, uncovered his true identity.
The man pretending to be a prisoner is Salama Mohammad Salama, a first lieutenant in Assad’s Air Force Intelligence.
Locals in Homs identified him as a checkpoint officer notorious for extortion and torture.
CNN Admitted Its Mistake
After Verify-Sy’s exposé, CNN admitted they were investigating whether they had been misled about Salama’s true identity.
His claims of solitary confinement, however, were questioned due to his well-kept appearance and lack of sensitivity to sunlight.
But CNN has not yet offered an apology for misleading its audience.
