The Disinformation War Surrounding Bashar al-Assad’s Whereabouts
The sudden shift in power in Syria last week, with rebel groups seizing control, has sparked a flurry of rumors and misinformation regarding the whereabouts of ousted President Bashar al-Assad and his family. The absence of clear information created a fertile ground for speculation, amplified by the rapid spread of false claims across social media and even some news outlets. DW Fact Check has investigated several of these viral claims and uncovered a pattern of manipulated images and videos designed to mislead the public.
One prominent false narrative centered on Assad’s alleged death in a plane crash. Images of a mangled aircraft wreck were widely shared, purportedly depicting the aftermath of the crash that killed Assad. However, a simple reverse image search revealed the photograph’s true origin: a decades-old plane crash site in Death Valley National Park, USA, documented years ago by a YouTuber and reported in several online articles. Similarly, a video circulating alongside the plane crash claim, showing a burning aircraft at night, was debunked as footage of an Indian MiG-29 fighter jet crash that occurred months earlier. While aircraft data did reveal the disappearance of a Syrian Air Ilyushin Il-76 T aircraft, experts cautioned that a missing transponder signal does not necessarily indicate a crash and could simply mean the transponder was switched off. This incident likely fueled the speculation, but it offers no evidence of Assad’s demise.
Further fueling the misinformation fire were claims that Assad and his wife had arrived in Moscow. Several images circulated on social media platforms and some news websites, supposedly depicting the couple in the Russian capital. One such image showed Assad and his wife alongside other individuals in a building, presented as evidence of their presence in Moscow. However, a reverse image search quickly exposed this claim as false. The photograph was actually taken over a year earlier, during Assad’s visit to earthquake victims in an Aleppo hospital in February 2023. The image was a screenshot from a video recording of the visit, with matching images available from reputable news agencies.
Another misleading photograph circulating online showed Assad at an airfield, falsely claimed to be a recent picture from Moscow. Again, a reverse image search revealed the photo’s true context: Assad’s official visit to Moscow in March 2023, where he met with President Vladimir Putin. The image captured Assad’s arrival at Vnukovo airport, being greeted by the honor guard, a scene documented by news agencies at the time. These instances demonstrate the ease with which old images can be repurposed and presented as current events to create false narratives.
While Russian news agencies, citing Kremlin sources and confirmation from the Syrian Embassy in Moscow, have reported that Assad and his family are indeed in Moscow and have been granted asylum on humanitarian grounds, no current photographic or video evidence has been released to substantiate these claims. The absence of contemporary visuals leaves room for continued speculation and underscores the importance of verifying information before sharing it.
The proliferation of false information regarding Assad’s whereabouts highlights the challenges of navigating the information landscape in times of political upheaval. The speed at which misinformation can spread across social media and online platforms necessitates a critical approach to evaluating sources and verifying the authenticity of content. Tools like reverse image searches can be invaluable in debunking manipulated images and videos, helping to distinguish fact from fiction.
The case of Bashar al-Assad’s disappearance and the subsequent misinformation campaign surrounding it serve as a stark reminder of the importance of media literacy and critical thinking. In a world saturated with information, the ability to discern credible sources from those peddling misinformation is crucial. The responsibility lies not only with individuals to be vigilant consumers of information, but also with social media platforms and news organizations to actively combat the spread of false narratives and prioritize accurate reporting. The stakes are high, as misinformation can not only distort public understanding of critical events but also potentially incite violence and instability.