‘Prisoner’ freed from Syrian prison by CNN was ‘regime torturer’ with ‘fake identity’

CNN has launched an investigation into the identity of a man shown being dramatically rescued from a Syrian prison following claims that he may have provided false information about who he was and was a “regime torturer”.

The man, discovered in a Damascus jail by CNN’s chief international correspondent Clarissa Ward, is now alleged to have been a member of Bashar al-Assad’s forces rather than a prisoner.

The revelation has cast doubt on what was initially praised as “remarkable” footage by the network’s head of communication.

In the footage, Ward and her team discovered the man under a blanket in a prison cell at Damascus’s Syrian air force intelligence headquarters.

The man identified himself as Adel Ghurbal, claiming he had been arrested three months earlier and questioned about his phone contacts.

He told CNN he had been taken from his home in Homs to Damascus by intelligence services.

A Syrian rebel guard shot open the cell door after the CNN team noticed it was the only one that remained locked.

The team had been searching for missing US journalist Austin Tice when they made the discovery.

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However, Syrian fact-checking organisation Verify-Sy has claimed the man’s real identity is Salama Mohammad Salama, a first lieutenant in Syrian air force intelligence.

The organisation alleges he was not a victim but rather a regime operative who managed security checkpoints in Homs.

According to Verify-Sy, his brief imprisonment of less than a month resulted from a dispute with a higher-ranking officer over extorted funds.

The fact-checkers say his role included forcing residents to become regime informants.

According to Verify-Sy, Salama’s alleged crimes included killing civilians and the detention and torture of numerous young men on fabricated charges.

The fact-checking organisation also claims he participated in military operations during 2014.

These operations occurred when Assad’s forces seized control of Homs from Syrian rebels following a three-year siege.

The man was allegedly involved in widespread theft and extortion activities while managing security checkpoints in the city.

A CNN spokesman told The Telegraph: “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 spokesman emphasised that no one knew of their plans to visit the prison that day.

“The events transpired as they appear in our film. The decision to release the prisoner featured in our report was taken by the guard – a Syrian rebel,” the spokesman said.

The network also confirmed that they reported the scene as it unfolded, including the prisoner’s statements, with clear attribution.