Is it true that Al-Hajjaj branded the necks of the Companions to humiliate them?

It has been reported in a number of history books that Al-Hajjaj ibn Yusuf Al-Thaqafi branded the hands and necks of some Companions, such as Sahl ibn Sa’d Al-Sa’idi and Jabir ibn Abdullah.

However, the authenticity of these narrations cannot be definitively established. Most history books transmit them from Al-Waqidi, who is weak and cannot be used as a source of proof. Even if Abu Al-Arab Al-Tamimi narrated them from sources other than Al-Waqidi, some of their chains of transmission are broken, and some of their narrators are weak or unknown.