DISINFO: Poisoning of drug addict Navalny was a hoax
DISINFORMATION CASE DETAILS
  • Outlet: radiovesti.ru (archived)*
  • Date of publication: October 16, 2021
  • Article language(s): Russian
  • Reported in: Issue 263
  • Countries / regions discussed: Russia, Germany
Tags:
Chemical weapons/attack novichok Alexei Navalny Conspiracy theory

DISINFO: Poisoning of drug addict Navalny was a hoax

SUMMARY

The analysis of Navalny's hair samples, conducted by the Charite Clinic, confirms the presence of multiple, highly addictive psychoactive substances in his blood. This paints a very different picture of what has happened to Navalny.

It seems that Navalny was injected with a dose of insulin in order to mimic symptoms of poisoning and create a pretext for moving him for treatment abroad.

RESPONSE

The claim advances a recurring pro-Kremlin disinformation narrative concerning the state-sponsored poisoning of Russian activist Alexei Navalny. The aim is to discredit not only Navalny but also the urgent medical assistance he received in Germany.

The present "scoop" is the latest addition to the list of substances and conditions which, according to pro-Kremlin outlets, could have caused Navalny's illness. Earlier such reports have cited moonshine, psychosomatic stress, overzealous dieting, low blood sugar, and a flare-up of an unspecified chronic illness as possible culprits.

That said, even if any of the above produced symptoms were identical to those of novichok poisoning (which they are not), this would not explain the presence of novichok in Navalny's blood, as independently confirmed by Germany, France, Sweden, and the OPCW. It is also worth noting that Russian doctors "had tested Navalny for 'a broad range of narcotics, synthetic, and medicinal substances including cholinesterase inhibitors. The results were negative.'"

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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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