Human Rights Watch has dismissed reports that three Franciscan friars were beheaded in Syria in a graphic video that emerged on YouTube this week. The findings by HRW back claims that the footage was used for propaganda by Bashar al-Assad's regime.
According to an in-depth investigation by the New York-based organization, the footage was shot in April and shows the beheading of two Shabiha people - collaborators with the Assad regime - in the village of Mashhad Ruhin 120km from Ghassaniyah. IB Times website reported.
The video was originally believed to show the execution of three Franciscan monks.
The killers are part of the al-Muhajireen al-Ansar brigade led by Chechen commander Abu Omar al-Shesheni. The video was arbitrarily linked by Catholic Online to the death of Francois Murad, a 49-year-old Franciscan father.
But the Custody of the Holy Land denied that Murad was one of those in the video and confirmed that all other priests in the area were still alive.
'Syria Truth' Pro-Regime website was the first news websites promoted the YouTube Video. After that the regime media outlets were the first who condemned rebels' savagery.
Russian Foreign ministry linked the armament of rebels by this video saying arms means more killing of Christian monks.
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