Summary

A CNN segment featuring Clarissa Ward’s discovery of a supposed Syrian prisoner has come under scrutiny after reports suggested the man may actually be a first lieutenant in Syrian Air Force Intelligence.

The man, found in a locked cell, claimed to have been imprisoned for three months.

However, the Verify-SY news agency alleges he is a former intelligence officer involved in killings and torture in Homs, potentially using the broadcast to rehabilitate his image.

CNN is investigating the man’s background amid growing skepticism on social media.