Syria's 'Eye of Truth' Records Own Death

Fearless cameraman dies recording government crackdown in Homs
By Rob Quinn,  Newser Staff
Posted Jan 1, 2012 6:41 AM CST

A Syrian citizen journalist who repeatedly risked his life to document the country's crackdown on protests died with his camera in his hand after being shot by a sniper. Basil al Sayid, 24, was killed while trying to film security forces firing randomly civilian areas in Homs, the city at the center of the uprising. Sayid had become known as the "eye of truth" in the city after capturing many chilling scenes.

"He chose to be a videographer because he was courageous. The minute you hold a camera you are a target for snipers," a colleague tells CNN. "Thousands of people saw the truth through his camera lens." Sayid was responsible for filming in one of had one of the most dangerous areas of the city, the colleague says. "He would film checkpoints, military movements, and snipers on the roof." Dozens of protesters have been killed in Syria this week despite the presence of Arab League monitors. (More Homs stories.)

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