Claim MISLEADING

Is the photo of activist Anas Habra in military uniform genuine?

Is the photo of activist Anas Habra in military uniform genuine?

Illustrative image

Accounts on social media circulated a photo of Syrian activist Anas Habra wearing military uniform, with claims that he was one of the former regime's "shabiha".

The circulating claim about the photo of activist Anas Habra in military uniform

The Kashaf team followed up on the circulating claim and carried out a reverse image search, which showed that the photo is digitally altered and fabricated. The results showed that the original image is a cropped screenshot from an old video clip showing personnel belonging to the former regime, and that it was manipulated by compositing the activist Habra's face onto the body of one of those personnel.

The original clip from which the image was cropped before the digital alteration

Why is the news misleading?

Digitally altered content: Fabricating and digitally editing photos of activists to claim they belonged to the former regime's forces is classified as misleading.