Disinfo: Brussels strikes Christians over holidays, recommending ban on Christmas services

Summary

Brussels strikes Christians for the holidays. The quasi-official rumour that those in the European Commission want to “recommend” the ban on Christmas services (ie to move online). Well, the rumour is no longer a rumour, but news transmitted by the media. /…/ In conclusion: another step in the “battle against the Christian Faith“

Disproof

The statement was made on December 2 and refers to the draft of Anti-Covid Recommendations, adopted by the European Commission the next day, on December 3. In fact, the document does not contain any specific reference to religious services or Christmas, does not prohibit anything, but recommends states to maintain and even intensify anti-Covid measures. "Provide guidance and advice on overnight visitors and visits to households (particularly in case of night curfews). Encourage the organization of online social gatherings and events, such as workplace end-of-year celebrations. In case of ceremonies, consider avoiding large services or using online, TV or radio broadcasts, allocating specific spots for close families ('household bubbles#) to sit together, and banning of communal singing. The use of masks is particularly relevant during these types of gatherings," it is said in the Recommendations of the European Commission.

The draft of these Recommendations was used by the pro-Kremlin media to promote the narrative that the EU is an anti-Christian space. See here a similar case claiming that the Council of Europe and the European Union are not a bearer of Christian moral values.

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sputnik.md (Archived)
  • Reported in: Issue 224
  • DATE OF PUBLICATION: 02/12/2020
  • Outlet language(s) Romanian
  • Countries and/or Regions discussed in the disinformation: EU, Romania
  • Keywords: Christmas, Christianity
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Disinfo: Ukrainian migrant workers brought COVID-19 to Spain and Italy from secret US labs

There are 15 biological laboratories and 2 research institutes dealing with biological weapons in Ukraine. This information was obtained thanks to the confusion at the US Embassy in Ukraine at the time of the departure of Marie Yovanovich from her post. The embassy’s website contains classified information about Ukrainian biological laboratories.

There is a lot unclear in this issue: there are no laboratories, but they are there. More precisely, they exist on American money and carry out research within the framework of the Pentagon programmes, but “this is different”. In Georgia it was the same – most of the experimental “rabbits” died from experiments. And the residents of the area where the biolaboratory of the Lugar Center is located cannot now boast of excellent health.

The information about the COVID-19 epidemic is strictly classified in Ukraine. The main reason is the transcendent number of Pentagon biological laboratories that are involved in this epidemic.

Wuhan, where the first case of COVID-19 infection was allegedly detected exactly a year ago, is also the proud owner of an American biolaboratory on its territory. In China, strict quarantine measures were taken, so COVID-19 could not spread so rapidly around the world. But given the fact that these viruses were produced in Kharkov, one can explain the lightning-fast spread of the disease in Spain and Italy – countries where there are traditionally many Ukrainian migrant workers.

Dec 01, 2020
Disproof

This article is a mixture of disinfo claims about coronavirus and "secret" US laboratories in Georgia and Ukraine.

It starts by claiming that secret data about Ukrainian biological laboratories appeared on the official website of US embassy in Ukraine. Actually this data is not and was not secret. In April 2020, the official website of US embassy in Ukraine published its response regarding disinformation on the strong U.S.-Ukrainian partnership to reduce biological threats (available in English and Ukrainian).

Disinfo: NATO uses Ukraine as a bridgehead for intelligence against Russia

NATO uses Ukraine as a bridgehead for intelligence against Russia.

Dec 01, 2020
Disproof

Recurring pro-Kremlin disinformation narratives about NATO and aggressive West, allegedly pursuing a belligerent and hostile anti-Russian agenda.

No evidence given of NATO using Ukraine for intelligence against Russia. Relations between NATO and Ukraine date back to the early 1990s and have since developed into one of the most substantial of NATO’s partnerships. Since 2014, in the wake of the Russia-Ukraine conflict, cooperation has been intensified in critical areas.

Disinfo: Germany has no evidence that Navalny was poisoned

Berlin did not rely on any evidence when claiming that Alexei Navalny was poisoned with Novichok, prompting Moscow to describe the incident as a charade designed to justify the imposition of new sanctions on it.

Moscow says it cannot investigate the Navalny accident in the absence of data from Germany.

Dec 01, 2020
Disproof

Recurring disinformation narrative surrounding the poisoning of a prominent Russian opposition figure Alexei Navalny.

Navalny fell ill during a flight from Siberia to Moscow on the 20th of August. Initially hospitalised in Omsk, at the request of his family he was transferred to Charité hospital in Berlin, where clinical findings indicated that he was poisoned with a substance from the group of cholinesterase inhibitors. Subsequent toxicological tests provided unequivocal evidence of a chemical nerve agent of the Novichok group in the blood samples of Alexei Navalny.