Syria Closes BBC Office: The Reason is Captagon

The Syrian Ministry of Information announced today, Saturday, that it has revoked the accreditation of two local journalists working for the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) due to what it described as "false and politicized coverage." The ministry added in a statement on its website that it canceled the accreditation of a reporter and a photographer whose names have not been disclosed after they provided "subjective and fabricated information and reports" about Syria. Other reports from the BBC were also described as "politicized." No response has yet been issued by the BBC regarding a request for comment. The BBC published a report last month about what it said were "direct links" between the trade of the amphetamine known as Captagon and the family of President Bashar al-Assad, as well as the Syrian army.