Social media platforms circulated a picture attributed to the moment “the head of the former Iraqi regime, Saddam Hussein, was found inside Saydnaya prison in Syria,” which sparked widespread controversy, especially with the comments that accompanied the picture, claiming that Saddam Hussein was still alive.
However, investigations conducted by CNN confirmed that this photo is not real, and that it originally dates back to the moment of the arrest of former Georgian President, Mikheil Saakashvili, by the Ukrainian Security Service in Kiev on December 5, 2017.
Anatomy of the image and confirmation of forgery
Using the Forensically image analysis tool, it was found that there were multiple modifications, proving that the image had been tampered with.
It was also confirmed that Al Jazeera did not broadcast the photo, nor did it publish any report related to the aforementioned allegations.
The misleading context around Saydnaya prison
With the collapse of the Syrian regime in some areas, attention turned to the prison in search of detainees and missing persons.
Such allegations, which are based on fake images, depend on exploiting the historical and political symbolism of figures such as Saddam Hussein, and trying to stir up controversy and media hype. Therefore, experts always advise verifying the sources of images and information before believing or sharing them.
LF
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