Did CNN's Syrian Prisoner Rescue Story Turn Out to Be Fake?

Berfin Ceren Meray
Onedio Member
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CNN’s dramatic coverage of a Syrian prisoner rescue has sparked controversy after reports surfaced questioning the authenticity of the story. The footage, which showed a prisoner being freed from a notorious Damascus prison, quickly made headlines. However, after public backlash, CNN has launched an internal investigation into the claims. Was it all staged, or is there more to the story? Dive into the details of this unfolding media scandal!

It has been revealed that thousands of people who opposed the ousted leader Assad in Syria were subjected to various tortures in horrific prisons.

The terrifying face of many prisons, especially Sednaya Prison, in the capital Damascus has come to light. It has been shown that thousands of people died in these prisons, battling thirst and hunger.

CNN, a US-based media outlet, visited a prison in Damascus.

CNN shared moments of them reaching a prisoner in this prison and releasing him. On December 12, CNN published the news titled 'CNN witnesses the moment a Syrian prisoner was freed from the detention of the Assad regime.'

In the video of the news, it was reported that CNN correspondent Clarissa Ward and the cameraman stumbled upon a prisoner in one of the prison cells.

The prisoner was identified as Adel Gharbal, a man from Homs. The prisoner, found under a blanket, was first given water, and then slowly escorted outside.

Gharbal, who said he had been arrested three months ago, became a sensation with the video.

Many users pointed out that the video might be staged. Clarissa Ward and her team were criticized for not fully verifying the prisoner’s identity.

According to T24, a CNN spokesperson told AA that they reported exactly what the prisoner had said and announced they had launched an investigation.

'No one but the CNN team knew about our plan to visit the prison that day. The events unfolded exactly as shown in the video. The person who decided to release the prisoner was a Syrian opposition figure. We reported everything, including what the prisoner said, as it was. We then started researching the person's background and realized they may have provided a fake identity. We are continuing to investigate this issue.'

The New York Post, however, claimed that the individual was actually a supporter of the Assad regime.

Elon Musk, the owner of X, who often stresses that the media should not be trusted, reacted with just an exclamation mark in response to the post quoting this.