Loading ...The boy portrayed as a ‘victim’ in a video of the alleged chemical attack in Douma has told a group of Russian correspondents led by Evgeny Poddubny that he was asked to go to hospital, where people “grabbed” him and started “pouring water” over his head.
One of the main ‘characters’ in the footage is a soaked boy, who is seen being sprayed with water by people who claim to be ‘rescue workers.’ It’s not clear whether they are doctors from the hospital, human rights activists, or White Helmets members. The latter usually make such videos and send them to news agencies, including Reuters.
Russian broadcaster VGTRK said it found the boy in the video, who appeared to be 11-year-old Hassan Diab. His story differed from the one presented by the activists and later propagated by the mainstream media.
He told Poddubny:
“Somebody was shouting that we had to go to the hospital, so we went there. When I came in, some people grabbed me and started pouring water over my head,”
He was eventually found by his father, who said he didn’t hear about any chemical attack that day.
“I went to the hospital, walked upstairs, and found my wife and children. I asked them what had happened, and they said people outside were shouting about some smell, and told them to go to the hospital. At the hospital, they gave dates and cookies to the kids,” he said.