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Disinfo: OSCE’s position on Belarus was decided even before the elections happened

Summary

The Belarusian authorities have invited the OSCE ODIHR – Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights – to take part in the monitoring of the elections. Why did it not come? This immediately makes us [Russia] think that, in fact, a position on the results of these elections had already been formulated. Therefore, someone may doubt the results, but we have every reason to doubt that those who doubt the election results were completely honest.

Disproof

A recurrent narrative about the West undermining democracy in Eastern countries and organising colour revolutions.

On July 15, the Director of the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR) informed the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Belarus that the lack of an invitation to observe the upcoming presidential election precluded ODIHR from observing the ongoing election process and published a press release. Afterwards, Belarus officially invited the organisation to observe the presidential elections of 9 August 2020.

“The lack of a timely invitation more than two months after the announcement of the election has prevented ODIHR from observing key aspects of the electoral process,” said ODIHR Director Ingibjörg Sólrún Gísladóttir.

Six or seven weeks of preparations are needed to prepare a real independent and reliable observance mission. Moreover, the conditions were already very difficult: the presidential election campaign in Belarus was accompanied by unprecedented violence since the very early stage of the campaign.

ODIHR Director added that "the protection of fundamental freedoms of assembly and expression is a precondition for genuine democratic elections". The fact that prospective candidates had been intimidated and opposition activists arrested was deeply concerning.

See more cases about Belarus: The scheme of the colour revolution in Belarus is revealed, US hybrid war on Belarus allows Russia to “pull a Crimea” in the former Soviet Republic, Belarus mobilised its air force fearing an imminent NATO invasion.

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publication/media

Sputnik France (Archived)
rg.ru (Archived)
Interfax (Archived)
Sputnik English (Archived)
Sputnik Lithuania - Russian (Archived)
  • Reported in: Issue 209
  • DATE OF PUBLICATION: 28/08/2020
  • Language/target audience: French, Russian, English
  • Country: Russia, Belarus
  • Keywords: election meddling, Colour revolutions, Elections, OSCE

Disclaimer

Cases in the EUvsDisinfo database focus on messages in the international information space that are identified as providing a partial, distorted, or false depiction of reality and spread key pro-Kremlin messages. This does not necessarily imply, however, that a given outlet is linked to the Kremlin or editorially pro-Kremlin, or that it has intentionally sought to disinform. EUvsDisinfo publications do not represent an official EU position, as the information and opinions expressed are based on media reporting and analysis of the East Stratcom Task Force.

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Ukrainians pay a third more for electricity than in EU

According to calculations by the European Commission, Ukraine is on the list of countries with the highest electricity prices. At the beginning of the year, power payments for Ukrainians was 38% higher than the European average. This is stated in the report of the European Commission.

September 01, 2020
Disproof

The European Commission regularly publishes quarterly reports on European electricity markets. The reports analyse the main factors behind price and volume evolutions on the market and they analyse electricity market interactions between countries. In addition to reviewing electricity prices in the capitals of the European Union countries, the European Commission also reviews electricity prices in capitals of the European continent as a whole. According to the EC quarterly report,  in March 2020, the highest prices were observed in Berlin and Copenhagen  (33.4 and 30.0 c€/kWh, respectively).

The lowest prices of EU27 capitals were recorded in Budapest and Sofia (11.2 c€/kWh and 11.6 c€/kWh, respectively). Non-Member States in Europe’s east tend to have lower prices. Thus, electricity for an average household in Kyiv is seven times cheaper than for one in Berlin, the report states.

German doctors participated in the Council which blocked Navalny’s transportation to German hospital

We ended a consultation with colleagues from Germany. We came to the conclusion that Navalny experienced a sharp drop in blood glucose with pressure changes. To avoid the risk, we insisted that the patient stay in hospital [in Omsk, Russia] until his condition was clearly stabilised. An additional fact here is that German doctors have arrived, German doctors are participating in the work, together with our doctors, they were present at the council. The decision to leave him there, well, apparently, there was no objection.

A new medical consultation on the state of Alexei Navalny, who has been in intensive care at Omsk hospital in a serious condition since Thursday, comes with the participation of his wife Yulia Navalny. Following the results of the first consultation with the participation of physicians from Germany who arrived in Omsk, it was decided to leave him in BSMP-1 until his condition stabilised.

September 01, 2020
Disproof

Disinformation around the recent suspected poisoning of Alexey Navalny. He fell ill during a flight and the plane had to make an emergency landing in Omsk, where the doctors rejected information about him being poisoned.

Navalny has since been transferred to Berlin and is receiving treatment at Berlin's Charite Hospital. Clinical findings indicate poisoning with a substance from the group of cholinesterase inhibitors, said Charite.

In every country where the Anglo-Saxons act, civil wars are organised

The hybrid wars that are going on around the world today are more effective, even without the use of traditional military forces. In fact, in every country against which the Anglo-Saxons act, civil wars are organised. And we see it perfectly. And these civil wars cause much more damage than if hostilities were organised in a traditional way.

September 01, 2020
Disproof

This is a conspiracy theory aimed at discrediting the West and the so-called Anglo-Saxons. In the pro-Kremlin media, the term “Anglo-Saxons” means “evil”, “belligerent” and “morally corrupt” Westerners, as explained in our earlier analysis.

Тhe disinformation message appeared in the context of  media reports that Britain could give up old tanks as part of modernisations plans. The article does not provide any evidence to support the claim about organised civil wars. This disinformation message is consistent with the recurring Shadow Government narrative, which pro-Kremlin disinformation sources often deploy as a rhetorical device to undermine the West and the international liberal-democratic institutional order.

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DISCLAIMER

Cases in the EUvsDisinfo database focus on messages in the international information space that are identified as providing a partial, distorted, or false depiction of reality and spread key pro-Kremlin messages. This does not necessarily imply, however, that a given outlet is linked to the Kremlin or editorially pro-Kremlin, or that it has intentionally sought to disinform. EUvsDisinfo publications do not represent an official EU position, as the information and opinions expressed are based on media reporting and analysis of the East Stratcom Task Force.