This Is a Piece of Art, Not a Syrian or Palestinian Refugee’s Body
The Claim
Image of a dead refugee near the Belarusian border found in Greece's forests.
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According to social media accounts and pages, a Syrian refugee was found dead near the Belarusian border. Meanwhile, other users have circulated the same image since November 3, 2021, claiming that it is the body of a Palestinian-Syrian refugee in Greece's forests.
Misbar’s Analysis
Misbar investigated the claim and found it to be misleading. The image is old and was previously published on the Shutterstock website in 2017 on the page belonging to Jan H Anderson. He is a visual artist and photographer from Denmark who describes himself as "addicted to the beauty of life, death, and the mysterious moments between them."
Photo description: Original Photo on Shutterstock caption “Body of murder victim hidden in autumn forest wrapped in tarpaulin sheets.”
Andersen publishes images that exemplify his philosophy on life and death. A selection of these works of art can be viewed on his Shutterstock page and below.
Photo description: Screenshot of Jan H Anderson’s Shutterstock page with his artwork.
Poland's police announced on Saturday that a Syrian teenager's body had been found near the Belarusian-Polish border. Refugees are currently gathering at the Belarusian border in an attempt to enter Poland. According to the BBC, the Polish authorities are responding to a "border breach" with tear gas grenades. Muhammad Munir Abdullah Rayan, a Palestinian-Syrian youth, was found dead in a Greek forest near Turkey on November 3. Yet, the image in the claim is irrelevant to the current events and has been confirmed by the Misbar team to be misleading.
