CNN concedes that the man released in a viral video segment was a notorious lieutenant for the Assad regime, not a civilian as he stated.

On Monday, CNN admitted that they had been deceived by a man they initially reported as a Syrian prisoner who had been released from a secret jail in a viral segment.

Last week, CNN's Clarissa Ward's news segment about the rescue of a "Syrian prisoner" who spent three months in a windowless cell in an Assad regime secret prison went viral. Ward described it as one of the most extraordinary moments in her journalism career. However, the man's good condition raised doubts about the surface narrative, as he had not been given food or water for several days.

The man who was confirmed by Ward to be Salama Mohammad Salama, also known as Abu Hamza, was a first lieutenant in Syrian Air Force Intelligence. CNN reported that he was known for extortion and harassment, while a local Syrian fact-checker stated that he was even known to commit torture and murder.

"Salama Mohammed Salama is the real identity of the man in our story from last Wednesday, as confirmed by Ward on X," reads the CNN report.

CNN discovered the man while investigating the disappearance of US journalist Austin Tice. In a video report, chief international correspondent Clarissa Ward and her team, along with a rebel guard, found a cell in a Damascus jail that was locked from the outside. The guard broke the lock with a gun, and the man was found alone inside the cell, covered in a blanket.

"The man, who looked bewildered when he emerged into the open air, was later identified as Adel Ghurbal from Homs, the central Syrian city. CNN obtained an image on Monday that revealed his true identity as a lieutenant in the Assad regime's Air Force Intelligence Directorate, Salama Mohammad Salama."

A Homs resident provided CNN with a photo of a man believed to be on government duty, which was confirmed through facial recognition software.

"According to CNN, a photograph depicts a man sitting at a desk in military attire. The photo is not being published to safeguard the source's anonymity. CNN reports that residents of Homs claim the man is Salama, also known as Abu Hamza. However, it is unclear how or why Salama ended up in the Damascus jail, and CNN has not been able to reconnect with him."

The man was reportedly providing false information by Verify-Sy, which is linked to the Poynter Institute, which also manages PolitiFact.

"Abu Hamza, a first lieutenant in Syrian Air Force Intelligence, is notorious for his activities in Homs. He is frequently stationed at a checkpoint in the western entrance of the Al-Bayyada neighborhood, where abuses are infamous," Verify-SY reported.

"Abu Hamza, who oversaw several security checkpoints in Homs, was reportedly involved in theft, extortion, and coercing residents into becoming informants. However, his recent incarceration, which lasted less than a month, was due to a dispute over profit-sharing from extorted funds with a higher-ranking officer. This led to his detention in one of Damascus's cells, according to neighborhood sources."

The report stated that many individuals were targeted for refusing to pay bribes, rejecting cooperation, or for arbitrary reasons such as their appearance. This information was confirmed by the families of victims and former detainees who spoke with Verify-Sy.

Planet Chronicle Digital’s David Rutz contributed to this report.