Official statement or report from CNN regarding the investigation

CNN Investigates Staged Report on Freed Syrian Prisoner, Identified as Salama Mohammad Salama, Former Assad Regime Torturer

Dec 16, 2024, 09:59 AM

CNN is under scrutiny following allegations that a report featuring a supposed Syrian prisoner, initially identified as Adel Gharbal, was staged. The report, aired by Clarissa Ward, claimed to document the release of a prisoner from a secret Syrian jail after the fall of President Bashar al-Assad's regime. However, investigations revealed that the individual in question is actually Salama Mohammad Salama, a former lieutenant in Assad's Air Force Intelligence, who was recently arrested for corruption. Critics have pointed out inconsistencies in the report, suggesting it may have been fabricated. In response to the backlash, CNN has launched an investigation into the identity of the individual and the circumstances surrounding the report. The network has acknowledged that the man may have provided a false identity during the segment. The situation has raised broader concerns about the credibility of CNN's reporting standards, particularly in relation to conflict coverage in Syria.