“The photos show Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa, who recently attended the UN General Assembly, holding severed heads in the past.”
What FACTLY found
The viral collage does not show the same person. The photo of a man holding severed heads actually depicts ISIS member Mohamed Elomar, not Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa. Al-Sharaa’s UN photo is genuine, posted on the official Syrian Presidency Instagram on 23 September 2025. Formerly known as Abu Mohammad al-Jolani, Ahmed al-Sharaa led Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), which is recognised as a terrorist group by the US, EU, and UN. He severed ties with al-Qaeda after 2016, became interim preside...
Their words, from the summary they publish with the rating.
In short
This claim spread on social media around 27 September 2025. FACTLY (India) looked into it and published its finding on 29 September 2025, 2 days later. Its rating was “MISLEADING”.
Where the claim appeared
Links recorded by FACTLY. Some posts may have been deleted since.
This check was done by FACTLY, not by DoesItStand. We list it so you can find it. Their full evidence and reasoning are in their article.