A man presented by CNN as an ordinary civilian found in a “secret prison” has been identified as an intelligence officer implicated in killings, torture, and extortion.
CNN has acknowledged that a Syrian man featured in its report, purportedly discovered in a Damascus prison, and whose release was filmed by a CNN journalist, was a former intelligence officer with a history of criminal activity.
Reports indicate his imprisonment stemmed from a conflict with superiors over illicit funds.
The controversy began last week with CNN’s release of a widely criticized video showing Chief International Correspondent Clarissa Ward entering a “secret prison” in Damascus, ostensibly searching for missing US journalist Austin Tice, after the Assad regime’s fall.
The video depicts Ward, accompanied by an armed man, discovering a locked cell—the only one reportedly still closed—in the facility. Inside, Ward, speaking in English, finds a man under a blanket who thanks her upon release and kisses her hand as they leave.
Ward identified the man as Adel Ghurbal from Homs, an “ordinary citizen,” allegedly imprisoned for months and deprived of food and water. He also claimed interrogation over his phone’s contents.
However, online observers noted the man’s well-groomed appearance, contradicting claims of hunger and dehydration. CNN reportedly disregarded these observations.
On Sunday, Verify-sy revealed, citing local sources, that the man’s true identity is Salama Mohammad Salama, also known as Abu Hamza, a former first lieutenant in Syrian Air Force Intelligence.
According to Verify-sy, the man “oversaw several security checkpoints in Homs and engaged in theft, extortion, and coercion of residents into becoming informants.” He also allegedly participated in military operations in Homs, “killed civilians, and was responsible for detaining and torturing numerous young men without cause or on fabricated charges.”
Sources told Verify-sy that Salama’s detention resulted from a dispute over extorted funds with a superior officer. Verify-sy also shared what it claimed was a photo of Salama in a Syrian military uniform in his office.
”Did CNN fabricate the story of “Freeing a Syrian Detainee from a Secret Prison?.. Did CNN deliberately mislead its audience to rehabilitate Abu Hamza’s image, or did it fall victim to misinformation?” the portal questioned.
Following the revelations, CNN issued a statement acknowledging that further investigation suggests the man served in Syrian intelligence and was accused of extortion.
CNN stated that it is “unclear how or why Salama ended up in the Damascus jail,” adding that his “current whereabouts are unknown,” and that CNN has been unable to contact him.