Syria revokes BBC accreditation over alleged bias after report on high-level ties to drug trade

By KAREEM CHEHAYEB
Associated Press

BEIRUT (AP) — Syria’s Information Ministry has revoked the BBC’s media accreditation over alleged bias. The decision comes days after the British public broadcaster released a documentary linking a multibillion-dollar illicit drug industry to members of Syrian President Bashar Assad’s family and the country’s military. The BBC dismissed the ministry’s claims. It said in a statement on Sunday that it will continue to provide impartial news and information to audiences across the Arabic-speaking world. The production and smuggling of addictive Captagon amphetamine pills have blossomed in war-torn Syria in recent years. Experts say it is a source of revenue for the country’s crippled economy and sanctioned leadership.