Pages and accounts on social media circulated a statement attributed to a person named Saddam Yahya, alleging he is a member of the People's Assembly for Aleppo governorate, containing sectarian phrases inciting hatred.
The Kashaf team carried out a field investigation to verify the claim, which included contacting a member of the People's Assembly who confirmed he had not heard the name Saddam Yahya and that no such person is among the assembly's members. The team also reviewed the official lists of elected and appointed members of the Syrian People's Assembly and did not find the named person among the members for Aleppo or any other governorate.
Why is this claim misleading?
Impersonation: The claim relied on attributing a statement to a person presented as a member of the People's Assembly for Aleppo without any proof that he holds that seat, in order to lend the circulating phrases an official character and mislead the public.
