The recent viral report by CNN featuring the dramatic release of a prisoner from a secret facility in Syria has sparked controversy after a local fact-check revealed startling information about the man’s true identity. The prisoner, initially presented as an innocent detainee, was actually a notorious figure with a history of alleged war crimes linked to the regime of Bashar al-Assad.
A lieutenant in Syrian air force intelligence presented as a prisoner
The release of the prisoner was featured prominently by CNN last week, with journalist Clarissa Ward describing it as “one of the most extraordinary moments I have witnessed” in her 20 years of reporting. Footage of the prisoner, identified as Adel Ghurbal, being led out of the facility went viral, causing widespread attention.
However, an in-depth report by the independent fact-checking organization Verify-Sy has cast doubt on the authenticity of the story. The group revealed that the man was actually Salama Mohammad Salama, a first lieutenant in Syrian air force intelligence, and a key figure known for committing war crimes, including torture.
CNN report questioned
Salama, who went by the alias Adel Ghurbal, claimed to have been arrested by government forces three months earlier and insisted he was unaware of the collapse of the Assad regime. However, the fact-checkers observed that his physical appearance contradicted his story. Despite allegedly being held in solitary confinement in darkness for 90 days, Salama appeared “well-groomed” and “physically healthy,” with no visible injuries or signs of torture.
Additionally, despite claiming to have been deprived of sunlight for months, Salama did not show any signs of distress when looking up at the sky. This raised questions about the veracity of his claims.
Motivations behind the CNN report
Through their investigation, Verify-Sy uncovered that there was no record of an Adel Ghurbal in the region, leading them to confirm his true identity as Salama Mohammad Salama. Known by the alias “Abu Hamza,” Salama had a long history of violent actions, including working at multiple security checkpoints in Homs, where he was involved in theft, extortion, and coercion of local residents to become informants for Assad’s regime.
According to local sources, Salama was also responsible for killing civilians during the Syrian civil war in 2014 and had allegedly detained and tortured young men under fabricated charges, many of whom had refused to pay bribes.
Verify-Sy further reported that Salama’s detention in the prison featured in CNN’s report lasted less than a month. His imprisonment was the result of a dispute with a high-ranking officer over the sharing of extorted money. This new information has raised questions about the circumstances surrounding his release and the motivations behind the CNN report.
CNN’s Response and Defense
In response to the fact-checking findings, CNN acknowledged the discrepancy, telling The Post, “We have subsequently been investigating his background and are aware that he may have given a false identity. We are continuing our reporting into this and the wider story.” The network also stated, “No one other than the CNN team was aware of our plans to visit the prison building featured in our report that day. The events transpired as they appear in our film.”
This latest controversy is not the first time CNN has had to defend its reporting. Clarissa Ward, who led the coverage of the prisoner release, was also involved in a heated debate last year. Ward was accused of staging a report near the Israel-Gaza border, where a live broadcast showed her and her crew supposedly getting caught up in a rocket strike. A doctored version of the broadcast, which included fake audio directing the action, went viral on social media, leading many to believe it was authentic.
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