Special sources have confirmed to Sowt al-Asima that Bassam Ezzedine, a former Orient TV correspondent known as Hadi al-Munajjid, has been arrested in Eastern Ghouta along with his wife.
The sources said that a patrol from a State Security branch had raided one of the town’s orchards in Deir al-Asafir and arrested Hadi and his wife.
The sources indicated that Munajjid had been required to check in with the intelligence branch in Damascus every two weeks, according to periodic summonses, for unknown reasons.
The journalist left Eastern Ghouta at the height of the siege there, in coordination with the pro-regime journalist Wissam al-Tair, and the mayor of the town of Deir al-Asafir -which he comes from.
In late 2018, Munajjid appeared in a television interview with Russia Today, during which he testified that members of the Civil Defense organization — known as the “White Helmets” in Eastern Ghouta — were leaders of armed opposition groups. Al-Munajjid claimed that the organization’s members totaled 220 volunteers, including 150 armed members. The interview formed part of a media campaign launched by Russian media and the regime against the Civil Defense.
This article was translated and edited by The Syrian Observer. The Syrian Observer has not verified the content of this story. Responsibility for the information and views set out in this article lies entirely with the author.
