The Local Coordinating Committees
Clarification with Regard to Hala Al-Monajed

The LCC reported yesterday on the death of Hala Al-Monajed, a child, in the Midan district of Damascus after security forces and Shabiha opened heavy gunfire at a student demonstration.

The information was provided based on corroborating testimonies by eyewitnesses and activists in Midan. The events were followed by a massive funeral for the child this afternoon, when thousands flocked to the funeral, only to find that the corpse had disappeared. At the time, it was believed that the corpse had been secretly buried at night, as frequently occurs due to security forces’ pressure.

However, it has become apparent that the child, struck by a bullet in the groin area, is alive and undergoing treatment at a Damascus hospital.

The LCC congratulates the child and her family on her safety, and apologizes for the unintentional error. The LCC calls upon its reporters and the correspondents of other Coordination Committees to ensure greater accuracy in their reporting, with the full understanding that due to pressure by security forces, access to the full truth is difficult in many cases.

In light of the present circumstances surrounding the dissemination of information in our country, we hold the regime fully responsible for the lack of clarity or accuracy in any information. It would be better for the regime to refrain from its lies and from prosecuting those who pursue freedom of the press, and allow media into the country. This is especially true as while the regime was spinning lies about the death of a child and attributing all events to a “cosmic conspiracy,” the Shabiha were firing on a funeral just a few meters away from the hospital where the child is being treated, and mutliple people were injured and killed.

Our struggle against the tyrannical regime is not only for freedom and dignity; it is also for the truth.

Media Office of the Local Coordinating Committees

December 19, 2011