A man who was released from a Damascus jail by rebels and claimed to be an ordinary citizen was actually a high-ranking official in the deposed Syrian regime, according to local residents. The freed prisoner, identified as Salama Mohammad Salama, also known as Abu Hamza, is a lieutenant in the Air Force Intelligence Directorate.
Salama was held in the jail until the Assad regime collapsed and was run by the Syrian air force’s intelligence services. He claimed to have been imprisoned for three months and was unaware that the regime had fallen. However, residents of Homs said he was known for running checkpoints in the city and accused him of extortion and harassment.
The man was initially found by CNN while investigating the disappearance of US journalist Austin Tice and appeared bewildered when freed. He identified himself as Adel Ghurbal from Homs before later revealing his true identity. Facial recognition software confirmed his identity, and residents provided a photograph of Salama in military clothing.
It is unclear how or why Salama ended up in the Damascus jail, and he has not been reestablished contact with CNN. The Syrian Red Crescent handed him over to Verify-Sy, a fact-checking website that initially identified Salama as the prisoner. Salama’s current whereabouts are unknown.
Source: https://edition.cnn.com/2024/12/16/middleeast/syria-assad-prisoner-homs-intl-latam/index.html