Disinfo: Another reason would be found for sanctions, if there had been no Navalany

Summary

If there was no Navalny, they would have come up with another reason to introduce additional sanctions. We are now being asked to confess, we are told: “Don’t you believe the Bundeswehr specialists? How can this be? These conclusions have been confirmed by the French and Swedes. Don’t you believe us?” In Russia one cannot open a criminal case based on hearsay.

Disproof

Recurring pro-Kremlin disinformation narrative on the poisoning of Alexei Navalny, portraying Western governments and institutions as inherently Russophobic and always trying to harm Russia. An unsupported conspiracy claiming that the poisoning of Navalny is a secret project to introduce sanctions on Russia. Prominent Russian opposition figure Alexei 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. Clinical findings at the Charité hospital indicated that Navalny 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. France and Sweden confirmed that the cause of his illness was Novichok, a Russian nerve agent. Samples taken from Navalny had also been sent for testing to the Organisation for the Prevention of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) in The Hague. Pro-Kremlin disinformation is trying to link the Navalny poisoning case with various factors - the US' fight against the Russian vaccine, the fight against Nord Stream 2, the fight against Putin to curb his desire to interfere in Belarus’ affairs. See related disinformation cases alleging that the West will falsely accuse Russia of poisoning Navalny as with Skripal and Litvinenko; the West has an interest in the death of Navalny to launch a new wave of sanctions against Russia, that the West needed the pretext to open sanctions against Russia, and that there is no evidence Navalny was poisoned, and many questions to be answered on Navalny blood tests in Berlin, and that the Navalny poisoning could be a strategy of the West to introduce anti-Russian sanctions.

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  • Reported in: Issue 212
  • DATE OF PUBLICATION: 15/09/2020
  • Outlet language(s) Russian
  • Countries and/or Regions discussed in the disinformation: Russia
  • Keywords: Alexei Navalny, Sanctions
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Disinfo: Destabilisation of Belarus and ousting of Lukashenko was planned in US embassy in Ukraine

A task force was created in the US embassy in Kyiv. Its main goal was to destabilise Belarus and to overthrow Lukashenko. The first grants were given to achieve this. [They were used] in blocking the Belarusian embassy in Kyiv, the adoption of a resolution by the [Verkhovna] Rada on the non-recognition of the election results, and in recalling the Ukrainian ambassador to Belarus.

Sep 14, 2020
Disproof

This is part of an ongoing Russian disinformation campaign on Belarus based on recurrent pro-Kremlin disinformation narratives, such as accusing other countries of interference and portraying popular protests against electoral fraud in the country as a Western-led colour revolution. There is no evidence that the US or Ukraine is trying to destabilise the situation in Belarus. US and Ukraine both support the independence and territorial integrity of Belarus and they do not have any political claims. The protests in Belarus erupted to contest the results of the presidential elections in Belarus that took place on the 9 August, which are considered fraudulent by a large part of Belarusian society. The European Union has also stated that the elections were neither free nor fair. There is no evidence that the protests in Belarus are funded and organised externally. Pro-Kremlin media frequently use disinformation narratives about popular protests around the world allegedly incited and funded by the US and other Western states. It has been applied, among others, to protests in Ukraine, Venezuela, Georgia, and Belarus, as well as to present a deceiving narrative on the aggressive West constantly preparing new coups. Read similar disinformation cases: The Baltic States and Poland are blowing Belarus up from the inside, Ukrainian militants are staying in Belarus to carry out a coup d'etat, in Belarus, there are signs of a colour revolution, but hybrid one.

Disinfo: Allegations of Navalny's poisoning are a concerted Western effort against Russia

What we are seeing regarding the allegations surrounding Navalny is a part and parcel of an ongoing, concerted, and vicious campaign against Russia, because Russia is a superpower and that’s what the Americans and the British loathe.

Sep 14, 2020
Disproof

The claim advances recurrent pro-Kremlin disinformation narratives about the poisoning of activist Alexei Navalny, and Western Russophobia. There are no grounds for connecting either the US or the UK to Navalny's poisoning. The activist fell ill on a 20 August flight from Siberia to Moscow. Initially hospitalized in Omsk, he was transferred to the Charité hospital in Berlin at the request of his family. Clinical findings at the Charité hospital indicated that Navalny was poisoned with a substance from the group of cholinesterase inhibitors. Subsequent toxicological tests revealed the presence of a Novichok-type nerve agent in Navalny's blood. Polluting Western media environments with multiple contradictory narratives of a given event is an established strategy of pro-Kremlin media outlets. See here for an overview of, and similarities between, Russian disinformation campaigns surrounding the 2018 Skripal poisoning and the 2020 Navalny poisoning.

Disinfo: Maidan in Belarus, like Euromaidan, is directed against Russia

By its goals and objectives, Belomaidan is no different from the Euromaidan, and is directed against Russia and the Russian population of Belarus (which is an absolute majority).

Sep 14, 2020
Disproof

Recurring pro-Kremlin disinformation narrative about colour revolutions and Belarus. The protests in Belarus are not directed against Russia. People of Belarus took to the streets after a presidential elections on the 9 August, which are considered fraudulent by a large part of Belarusian society. The European Union has also stated that the elections were neither free nor fair. There is no evidence that the protests in Belarus are funded and organised externally or are directed against Russia or the Russian speaking population in Belarus. The objectives of the protests are set forth by the Coordination Council of Belarus opposition. They include: an end to political persecution of citizens, the release of all political prisoners, the annulment of the 9 August presidential election results, the need to hold new elections based on international standards. Euromaidan too was not directed against Russia. It was a spontaneous protest against the decision of President Viktor Yanukovych not to sign the Association Agreement with the European Union. The protesters' demands included constitutional reform, a stronger role for parliament, formation of a government of national unity, an end to corruption, early presidential elections and an end to violence. See similar cases claiming that the protests in Belarus are a colour revolution conducted according to a Maidan scenario and that the West wants to prepare Maidan in Belarus.