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Horrific Assaults on War Prisoners in Tal Rifaat: Journalists on the Front Lines
Opposition platforms broadcast a video showing an individual wearing a press vest, typically used in conflict zones, committing acts of violence against prisoners in the city of Tal Rifaat, northern Aleppo, in collaboration with elements of the Turkey-affiliated "National Army."
Another clip circulated, which the North Press Center verified, shows an armed man claiming to be inside a hospital in Tal Rifaat, where it was reported that the prisoners were being treated within the medical facility, and their fate remains unknown.
North Press managed to identify the journalist accompanying "National Army" operations who participated in the assault on the prisoners by communicating with three journalists specializing in investigative procedures in Aleppo. An investigative journalist in Aleppo revealed that the assailant is from the town of Tal Rifaat.
In the footage, one of the militants mentions "Abu Musab is hitting," referring to the journalist, as they exchange smiles. A Syrian journalist from the Aleppo countryside, who requested anonymity, stated that the individual appearing in the recording, wearing a press vest, has ties to the National Army factions.
In this context, activist Farouk Al-Hayani, registered under a pseudonym, explained that he had met multiple times with an individual named Abdul Rahman, known as "Al-Halabi," pointing out that he is from Tal Rifaat and has lived in recent years in the "Sijo" camp near the Syrian-Turkish border. Al-Hayani confirmed that Al-Halabi works as a photojournalist for an opposition media agency and occasionally collaborates with a television channel.
After verifying "Abdul Rahman Al-Halabi's" social media accounts, North Press confirmed that he is indeed the person in the video. Al-Halabi stated on his account that his full name is Abdul Rahman Barbouri, and he shared updates about military operations in Aleppo conducted by Hay'at Tahrir al-Sham (formerly known as "Jabhat al-Nusra") and Turkey-affiliated factions.
Al-Halabi also posted inciting remarks against prisoners from the government forces during the recent attack on Aleppo before deleting them after being contacted.
When contacted via WhatsApp, "Abdul Rahman Al-Halabi" confirmed that he is the journalist Abdul Rahman and lives in Aleppo. When asked about his involvement in the assault on prisoners, he condemned the incident, demanding that the video not be circulated and be deleted immediately, threatening to file a lawsuit against anyone who reshares the footage.
In response to a question about why he deleted the video, he began justifying the assault as a "mistake," asserting that "these mistakes should not spread in the name of the battle."
The following day, Al-Halabi did not respond to North Press's questions after viewing the messages and did not deny his involvement in the assault by the end of the conversation.
For his part, journalist Abbas Moussa pointed out that regardless of the assailant's identity, he is engaged in media work, and thus the necessary ethical standards should apply to him. International standards emphasize the importance of journalists, whether civilian or military, maintaining neutrality in their coverage of events, respecting human rights, avoiding harm to any party, and not placing themselves or the lives of others at risk.
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