The 61-year-old Baath regime in Syria collapsed and years of pain came to light. Especially the images of detainees in Sednaya Prison, who had not even seen daylight for years, made a big impact. An image reflected on CNN International’s screens was on the agenda. While broadcasting from a prison in Syria last week, experienced reporter Clarissa Ward witnessed the moment of release of a Syrian man who had been held captive in a dark cell for 3 months, and these moments were on the world’s agenda.
THE IMAGES WERE CONFUSED
However, it was confusing that the man, who claimed that he was unaware of what was happening in the country, was well dressed and his face looked healthy.
The truth was revealed later. According to CNN, local people said that the person who said he was a victim of the Assad regime was an intelligence officer.
The man, who looked confused when he came out into the fresh air, introduced himself as Adel Ghurbal from the city of Homs and said that this was the third prison he was held in. He was held in a prison run by the intelligence services of the Syrian air force until the Assad regime collapsed.
HIS REAL IDENTITY HAS BEEN REVEALED
An image obtained by CNN on Monday revealed the man’s true identity. It is stated that in the image is Salama Mohammed Salama, a lieutenant in the Assad regime’s Air Force Intelligence Directorate.
MORE THAN 99 PERCENT MATCH WAS PROVIDED
A resident of the Bayada neighborhood in Homs provided CNN with a photo of Salama on duty, dressed in military fatigues. The facial recognition program produced a more than 99 percent match with the man CNN met in a Damascus prison cell.
As CNN continues to obtain information, many residents of Homs identified the man as Salama, also known as Abu Hamza. They told CNN that he was known for manning the city’s Air Force Intelligence Directorate checkpoints and had accusations of extortion and harassment against him.
It is unclear how or why Salama ended up in a Damascus prison. CNN reported that it was never able to contact him again. Salama’s current whereabouts are unknown.
HIS FIRST WORDS WERE “I AM A CIVILIAN”
While wandering around the prison, Clarissa Ward suspected that there might be a person under the blanket in the cell. Ward called the person in charge, and when the officer lifted the blanket slightly, a man appeared from under it, looking with frightened eyes. The man, who saw the people in front of him and was startled with fear, immediately raised his hands and said, “I am a civilian.”