Public statement or social media post by Clarissa Ward addressing the allegations

CNN Investigates Allegations of Staged Report on Freed Syrian Prisoner Adel Gharbal, Identified as Former Air Force Intelligence Officer Salama Muhammad Salama

Dec 16, 2024, 03:00 AM

CNN is facing scrutiny over a report that claimed to document the release of a prisoner named Adel Gharbal from a secret Syrian jail. The report, presented by correspondent Clarissa Ward, showed a man allegedly freed after three months in solitary confinement. However, investigations have raised questions about the authenticity of the report, suggesting that the individual was actually Salama Muhammad Salama, a former first lieutenant in Assad's Air Force Intelligence, recently arrested for corruption. Critics have accused CNN of staging the segment, with allegations that the network's editorial standards were compromised in pursuit of a narrative supporting regime change in Syria. In light of these accusations, CNN has announced an internal investigation to verify the identity of the individual featured in the report, amid growing concerns about the credibility of its journalism in conflict zones.