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Former ISIS Media Worker Appointed Director of Digital Media in Raqqa
The decision by the government of transitional President Ahmed al-Sharaa to appoint Mohammed al-Nashef as director of digital media in Raqqa has sparked widespread controversy and sharp criticism among local communities. The criticism stems from al-Nashef’s past media work with ISIS during the group’s control of the area.
Al-Nashef is reportedly known as one of the media figures who worked for the organization. His name became associated with a widely circulated photograph from 2015 showing him standing in front of seven severed heads. His appointment to an official administrative position has consequently provoked outrage among many activists and residents who experienced the group’s abuses firsthand.
According to information reported by the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, al-Nashef was appointed to the position in July 2026 before being referred for investigation following complaints submitted by several activists from the province. The complaints raised questions about his past and his media role during ISIS’s control of Raqqa.
Al-Nashef had previously worked as a correspondent for a television channel in areas controlled by the “Peace Spring” operation, including Tal Abyad and Suluk. He was also present in Raqqa during the period when large parts of the city were under ISIS control.
The main allegations center on a photograph dating back to 2015. It shows al-Nashef near al-Na’im Roundabout, with severed heads visible behind him, following ISIS’s capture of the 17th Division base. The image circulated widely and was recently reshared in connection with the controversy surrounding his appointment.
Al-Nashef acknowledged that the photograph was genuine but denied that it constituted evidence of his affiliation with, or work for, ISIS. In a comment posted on a social media platform, he said the photograph was taken during what he described as “the people of Raqqa’s celebration of liberation from the 17th Division,” insisting that his appearance in the image did not prove any connection to the organization.
Local sources, however, accuse him of holding pro-ISIS views and of working as a photographer for the group. They also claim that he had previously posted the photograph on his social media accounts.
According to the same information, al-Nashef’s family had previously announced that he had been killed in an airstrike carried out by the international coalition. He later reappeared after the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) took control of Raqqa and began working for one of the institutions affiliated with them.
According to an official source, the Minister of Information recently issued a decision reinstating al-Nashef in his position following an investigation conducted by internal security authorities and the province’s counterterrorism department. The investigation reportedly concluded that there was insufficient evidence to substantiate the allegations against him.
Accounts of al-Nashef’s past and role during ISIS’s control of Raqqa remain conflicting. Local allegations have been denied by al-Nashef, while an official decision reinstated him based on the findings of the security investigation.
Amid the continuing controversy, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights called on the authorities to adopt clear and uniform criteria for selecting officials within state and media institutions and to verify candidates’ backgrounds on the basis of documented evidence, in order to enhance transparency and strengthen public confidence in government institutions.
