Disinfo: The Netherlands is going to sabotage the MH17 trial

Summary

There will be no real trial in the MH17 investigation, there will only be information sabotage to please the representatives of the West, who constantly twist this topic in a convenient way.

Disproof

A conspiracy theory. One of many recurring pro-Kremlin disinformation narratives aiming to undermine the results of the MH17 investigation and the outcomes of the future trial.

The prosecution of 4 suspects begins on 9th of March 2020, as decided by the Dutch Public Prosecutor’s Office (PPO), which has the unanimous support of the investigation authorities of the other countries in the Joint Investigation Team (JIT): Australia, Belgium, Malaysia and Ukraine. The PPO will present the case to an independent court in a public hearing under the Dutch legal system.

On the basis of the investigation conducted by the JIT, with the participation of law enforcement agencies from Australia, Belgium, Malaysia, Ukraine and the Netherlands, the Dutch Public Prosecution Service will prosecute Igor Vsevolodovich Girkin, Sergey Nikolayevich Dubinskiy, Oleg Yuldashevich Pulatov and Leonid Volodymyrovych Kharchenko for causing the MH17 crash and murdering all 298 persons on board. The Public Prosecution Service alleges that the four individuals cooperated to obtain and deploy the BUK TELAR at the firing location with the aim of shooting down an aircraft. For that reason, they can also be held jointly accountable for downing flight MH17.

Read other disinformation narratives alleging that the MH17 investigation is biased, MH17 was a false flag attack, planned by British and Ukrainian security agencies, US and UK falsely blamed Russia for downing MH17, Kremlin has nothing to do with an MH17 suspect, and Netherlands MH17 hysteria demonstrates Dutch government complicity in the tragedy.

publication/media

  • Reported in: Issue 184
  • DATE OF PUBLICATION: 15/02/2020
  • Outlet language(s) Russian
  • Countries and/or Regions discussed in the disinformation: The Netherlands
  • Keywords: Conspiracy theory, MH17
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Disinfo: The OPCW has become a tool for the US and its Western allies

The UN-affiliated OPCW has become fatally compromised as a political tool for the US and its Western allies. Its reports on Syria in particular are discredited, attributing blame to the wrong parties while whitewashing the real culprits – the jihadist militants and their media agents in the White Helmets. What’s more, an organization which is supposed to be dedicated to upholding international security is actually allowing itself to be used for propaganda purposes leading to aggression.

Disproof

This is a recurring disinformation narrative deflecting blame for chemical attacks away from the Assad regime; painting the White Helmets as terrorists, and aiming to discredit the OPCW. The OPCW is an independent inter-governmental international organisation with 193 member states - including Russia.

Pro-Kremlin outlets began portraying the OPCW as a pawn in Western geopolitical designs around mid-2018, when the organisation was being granted new powers to assign blame for chemical attacks, especially in the Syrian Douma. In a joint statement, Australia, Bulgaria, Canada, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, France, Germany, Iceland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, the Netherlands, Poland, Slovakia, the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and the United States of America called for an end to the unacceptable Russian defamation of the OPCW.

Disinfo: Moscow returned Russian identity to Crimea

Moscow agreed to return the Russian identity to the Crimea in 2014.

Disproof

This is a recurring pro-Kremlin disinformation narrative about the illegal annexation of Crimea.

Moscow did not "return" the Russian identity to Crimea, but was rather illegally annexed. On 27 March 2014, the UN General Assembly adopted a resolution in which it stated that the referendum in Crimea was not valid and could not serve as a basis for any change in the status of the peninsula. On 17 December 2018, the UN General Assembly confirmed its non-recognition of the illegal annexation of Crimea.

Disinfo: Russia agreed to restore Crimea's Russian identity

Washington and its European allies imposed restrictions on dealings with Russia after Moscow agreed to restore the Russian identity of the Crimea in 2014.

Disproof

This is a recurring pro-Kremlin disinformation narrative about Russia's illegal annexation of Crimea trying to portray it as a "return" to Russia.

Crimea is not Russian but was illegally annexed by Moscow based on an illegitimate referendum. On 27 March 2014, the UN General Assembly adopted a resolution in which it stated that the referendum in Crimea was not valid and could not serve as a basis for any change in the status of the peninsula. On 17 December 2018, the UN General Assembly confirmed its non-recognition of the illegal annexation of Crimea.