Disinfo: Russia does not interfere in other countries sovereign affairs

Summary

Russia has never been a colonial country. Also, Russia has never known what is called looting of foreign countries. Our foreign policy is based on respect for international law and does not accept attempts to dominate, dictate the will of others over independent countries, nor interfere in the affairs of their sovereignty.

Disproof

Recurrent narrative praising peaceful Russia and its superiority over other countries.

Russia has a long track-record in interfering with other countries' sovereign affairs.

Crimea is a part of Ukraine and was illegally annexed by Russia. In 2014, Russian troops obliged the parliament of Crimea to organise a referendum, which was violation of international law, and then formally annexed the peninsula and brought it under Russian territorial control, with no international body recognising it.

A year after the illegal “return”, Russian President Vladimir Putin admitted that the plan to annex Crimea was ordered weeks before the so-called referendum.

In December 2019, the Office of the Prosecutor of the UN International Criminal Court published a report on crimes committed by Russia against Crimeans. Among them, torture, abduction, murder, arrests and other egregious cases of violation of human rights by Russian invaders were recorded (paragraphs 272, 273 of the report).

Further reading available on debate around Russia's relationship to colonialism.

See other examples of this disinformation narrative about Russia as a victim, such as claims about alleged plans to encircle Russia or to wage war against it; the supposed anti-Russian bias of international institutions - be it the OPCW, the World Anti-Doping Agency or the United Nations - which always falsely accuse Russia; the alleged Russophobia of the EU; or denials that Russia had any role in the poisoning of Sergey Skripal or the downing of MH17, that it interfered in other countries’ elections or that it is waging a disinformation campaign on COVID-19.

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  • Reported in: Issue 206
  • DATE OF PUBLICATION: 20/07/2020
  • Outlet language(s) Arabic, English
  • Countries and/or Regions discussed in the disinformation: Ukraine, Russia
  • Keywords: illegal annexation, Occupation, Russian superiority, Imperialism/colonialism, Manipulated elections/referendum, International Law, Crimea, War in Ukraine
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Disinfo: All this time the authorities of Great Britain were lying about deaths from COVID-19

The UK has suspended the publication of statistics on coronavirus victims. It turned out that the authorities had been lying about deaths from COVID-19 all along. As a result, London had to backtrack.

Disproof

A manipulative claim to imply the UK Government was lying whereas, according to Reuters, the UK actually announced a review of potentially faulty England COVID-19 death data. Health Minister Matt Hancock ordered a review into how England reports coronavirus deaths, after academics said the daily figures may include people who have died of other causes. The way Public Health England, a government agency responsible for managing infectious disease outbreaks, calculates the figures means they might look worse there than in other parts of the United Kingdom, according to two academics. The claim does also not explain why any Government would want to lie to make death statistics appear worse than they actually are.

See other disinformation cases around coronavirus here.

Disinfo: Clinton and Biden are preparing a coup d'etat in the United States

Hillary Clinton and Joe Biden are preparing a coup d’etat in the United States. // Here we are talking about the forceful elimination of political opponents, as well as members of their families and ordinary supporters of the Republican Party, who will not accept usurpation of power by Clinton. The coup will be covered up with another portion of anti-Russian rhetoric, and hatred towards supporters of Trump. Ukrainian scenario might repeat already not in Kyiv, but in Washington. Group of “unknown snipers” to create a “democratic heavenly hundred” will be easily found by the American directors of color revolutions, that is not a problem. — The electoral drama may turn into a real bloody tragedy.

Disproof

No evidence given of any coup preparations. Conspiracy theory about the upcoming US presidential elections using a recurring method of drawing parallels between Ukraine, Euromaidan, and the US 2020 elections. Democratic candidate for US president, Joe Biden, warned of potential efforts by China and Russia to disrupt the November election. Biden warned that if Russia continued to interfere there would be “a real price to pay” if he wins the November election against Republican President Donald Trump. Disinformation followed these statements. Read the similar case: Civil war is possible in the USA, Biden is already talking about a coup.

Disinfo: Second civil war began in the USA

America has lost its landmarks, and a country that has lost its landmarks begins to distort and destroy its past. The second Civil War in the United States actually began.

Disproof

Part of recurring pro-Kremlin false messaging about a civil war in the US, earlier seen in relation with the migration crisis in the EU, aiming to show an imminent collapse of a certain country. The widespread protests against racial injustice and police brutality broke out in the US after the death ofGeorge Floyd in police custody in Minneapolis on 25 May 2020. The protests followed several high-profile incidents involving African Americans and the police, invoking debates about racism in the US. Despite high polarisation in the US, the unrest is not a civil war. The situation was very tense and protests spread to all 50 states of the country, top military officials and police officers worked to de-escalate the situation and demonstrations became largely peaceful. However, also violent confrontation continues. See more examples of pro-Kremlin disinformation about theracial justice protests in the US.