From Military Intelligence to Disinformation: How Yala Media Group Is Using Lies to Evade Justice

Playing the Victim Card

The "Yala" media group claimed it had ceased its operations in Syria, alleging that its general director faced direct assassination threats from a high-ranking foreign official within the Syrian Ministry of Information. The group also reported receiving direct threats from individuals who identified themselves as advisors from the Presidential Palace.

The group claimed in a statement posted on its Facebook page that it uncovered “suspicious relations” involving the official, with audio and video evidence. They accused him of interfering in internal affairs, forcing the company to relinquish satellite rights, and extorting money from it. The group compared these actions to those of the previous regime and said it would release the supporting documents later.

The statement quickly spread on social media, raising concerns about the future of press and media freedom in Syria after Ahmad al-Shara took over the presidency of the transitional phase, following the Syrian revolution's victory over the Assad regime, which had repressed and killed Syrians for over five decades, restricting their freedoms, especially press and media freedom

Refute the claim

Verify Syria Director, Ahmad Primo, dismissed Yala Media Group’s claim as false, stating that the group and its director lack credible evidence to support their allegations. Primo confirmed that the reported threats were fabricated and that such tactics align with the group’s record of outright deception.

As a Syrian citizen and journalist, Primo was among those who formally requested the Syrian Ministry of Information to shut down Yala Media and prosecute its director, Ahmad Moumena. He accused Moumena of suppressing free expression, laundering Russian disinformation, and supporting pro-Assad media and figures throughout the Syrian uprising.

Exploiting Facebook’s Copyright Policy to Silence Dissent

Yala Media Group first gained notoriety in mid-2020 when Syrian activists accused it of orchestrating content takedowns on Facebook, particularly videos of anti-Assad protests in Sweida.

Screenshots shared by activists show Facebook notifications asking users to remove videos of protests within seconds of posting, citing copyright claims from "Yala Media". This investigation further explores the group’s real role and its director’s involvement in suppressing dissent.

At the time, Primo revealed in a statement to the local newspaper Zaman Al-Wasl that the Assad regime was exploiting a loophole in Facebook’s copyright policy to suppress videos documenting anti-regime protests.

“We noticed that Facebook was blocking videos of protests in Sweida, citing copyright violations. After investigating the entity claiming ownership, we found that it was Yala Media Network,’ a company based in Damascus,” Primo stated.

He further explained, “We believe this company is directly linked to the Syrian regime and is fraudulently obtaining copyright certificates for videos filmed by Sweida activists. Using AI-driven detection, they then request Facebook to block the content wherever it appears.”

Yala and the Business of Information Laundering

In April 2023, the BBC’s Disinformation Investigation Team published a report titled “The UK company spreading Russian fake news to millions”. The investigation revealed that a UK-registered media company, "Yala," was disseminating Russian disinformation to millions of Arabic-speaking audiences worldwide by republishing content directly sourced from Russian state media.

The investigation confirmed that the media platform was laundering and repackaging disinformation originally published by Russian state media at the onset of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. During that period, most of Yala’s content was an exact replica of stories circulated by Kremlin-backed outlets.

Yala Media falsely claimed that Ukraine was using birds to spread diseases, illustrating the story with an image of a blue jay taken from a U.S. wildlife center.

A fake video claiming that Ukrainian President Zelensky was drunk and had lost his mind garnered over a million views.

Yala’s Support of the Ousted Regime Celebrities and Officials 

Although the BBC investigation did not overlook the significant role played by the “Yala” network in supporting pro-regime celebrities and journalists, this role was only part of a larger picture.

According to information available to the investigation team, Ahmad Mo'mena, the CEO of “Yala,” is directly connected to Kamal Saqr, the head of the media office for Bashar al-Assad. Additionally, Saqr's wife, Diala Hassan, also played a role in the company.

Moumina's name was linked to the regime’s Military Intelligence Division, and he was one of those who provided this institution with advanced spying devices from one of the Gulf countries, as he personally delivered them to one of its officials.

Among the figures that Moumina and his company helped support was the state television correspondent Shadi Halwa, who was the media face of the “Al-Khatrji” company, which was included in the US Treasury Department's sanctions for its involvement in financing terrorist groups such as the Quds Force and the Houthi group.

Yala Road Towards Trial

Although “Yala” officially announced the suspension of its media activity in Syria, its statement published on one of its pages managed from the Emirates did not include any document supporting the allegations regarding the reasons for the decision.

A well-informed source told the "Verify Syria" platform that the Ministry of Information in the Syrian caretaker government informed the Ministry of Interior of the accusations directed at the group and its director, Ahmed Moumina, accompanied by evidence sent by Primo, in addition to other testimonies from Syrian citizens and journalists.

According to available information, Ahmed Moumna was in Syria about three weeks ago, though his current whereabouts are unknown, especially since he was living in the Emirates, where a large number of people associated with the regime reside.

Yala’s Road To Trial

Although "Yala" officially announced the suspension of its media activities in Syria, its statement, posted on one of its UAE-managed pages, did not include any documents supporting the claims behind this decision.

A source familiar with the matter told the "Verify-sy" platform that the Ministry of Information in the Syrian transitional government informed the Ministry of Interior about the accusations against the group and its director, Ahmad Mo’mena, attaching evidence sent by the director of the "Takkad" platform, along with other testimonies from Syrian citizens and journalists.

According to available information, Ahmad Mo’mena was in Syria about three weeks ago, but his current whereabouts are unknown, especially since he had been residing in the UAE, where many personnel connected to the regime live after his fall.