Disinfo: The United States is behind the protests in Belarus

Summary

The United States is behind the protests in Belarus, and they are operating through centres in Poland and the Czech Republic. But there are also internal reasons. The internal reason is that two new generations have grown up in Belarus and a small class of “bourgeois” has formed and they want power.

Disproof

Recurring pro-Kremlin disinformation narrative about Belarus protests and, in general, about protests in post-communist countries, presenting them as being organised and controlled from abroad. This narrative claims that protests, disorders and civil uprisings are never manifestations of popular discontent but are “colour revolutions” directed and funded by the West. There is no evidence that the US or other foreign forces are involved in any way in the protests in Belarus. The protests in Belarus erupted to contest the results of the presidential election on the 9th of 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. See similar cases claiming that the protesters in Belarus are controlled by foreign centres, 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, that West is helping to destabilise the situation in Belarus before the election, and that US agents attempt to overthrow Lukashenka along the Ukrainian scenario.

publication/media

  • Reported in: Issue 211
  • DATE OF PUBLICATION: 08/09/2020
  • Outlet language(s) Armenian
  • Countries and/or Regions discussed in the disinformation: Czech Republic, Poland, US, Belarus
  • Keywords: Protest, US presence in Europe, Conspiracy theory
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Disinfo: Navalny was not poisoned by novichok and Russian secret services are not involved

Novichok is a BATTLE POISONING GAS it cannot harm one person inside a plane or his cup of tea or as in Skripal’s case, rub the door handle with it. It is a gas and weapon of mass destruction it cannot harm specifically one person. The poisoning doesn’t make any sense because Russia special services have a tradition of killing their enemies and terrorist like they did with Trotsky, Konovalets, Bandera. If Skripal had been a missed target for them, they wouldn’t have use the same technique for Navalny. There are many simple and efficient techniques to kill someone and bury his body in the forest. But Navalny was deep in debts (t 30 million roubles according to court decisions) and interested nobody.

Disproof

The story advances a recurring pro-Kremlin disinformation narrative casting the Skripal and Navalny poisoning as wholly unconnected to Russia. Some forms of the chemical weapon range known as Novichok are stable as a powder or a gel and can be easily carried in perfume bottles for instance and used on a surface. It has been established widely publicized in the Salisbury poisoning. The argument that Russian secret services always succeed and since Skripal and Navalny are still alive, cannot be taken seriously since the aim of a poisoning with a rare poison is not limited to the elimination of a target but as in any terrorist attack aims at creating a psychological impact in the entourage of the victim and in the general public. Moreover, the act itself can be denied arguing that it is the consequence of common health issues. Recent history shows that several public figures were poisoned and survived. To see more stories on Navaly poisoning : Many questions to be answered on Navalny blood tests in Berlin , US hopes that the Navalny case will lead to the cancellation of Nord Stream 2 , West will falsely accuse Russia of poisoning Navalny, as with Skripal and Litvinenko .

Disinfo: Navalny's poisoning story is a manifestation of the internal political struggle in Germany

The story of the poisoning of Alexei Navalny is, first of all, a manifestation of the fierce internal political struggle in Germany: between the globalist-pro-American and nationally oriented parts of the German elite for the fate of Nord Stream 2.

Disproof

Conspiracy theory, recurring pro-Kremlin narrative on Alexei Navalny's poisoning. An attempt to divert attention from Russia's responsibility for the incident. Pro-Kremlin disinformation is trying to link this story with various factors - the US' fight against the Russian vaccine, the West's fight against Russia- the reason for new sanctions, the fight against Nord Stream 2, the fight against Putin, to curb his desire to interfere in Belarus’ affairs. German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas denies Russian accusations in the Navalny poisoning case and once again demands that Russian should begin a full investigation into all circumstances around the incident. Background A prominent Russian opposition figure Alexey Navalny fell ill during a flight and the plane had to make an emergency landing in Omsk, where doctors said he was in a coma and they were trying to save his life. Since then he has been transferred to Berlin and is receiving treatment at Berlin's Charite Hospital. The German federal government said that toxicological tests provided “unequivocal evidence of a chemical nerve agent of the Novichok group” in the blood samples of Alexei Navalny. The European Union condemned the poisoning of Alexei Navalny in the strongest possible terms. 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.

Disinfo: Alexei Navalny, originally an anti-Russian project, was poisoned by his sponsors

Alexei Navalny is an expensive and long-term project. I do not know who and when decided to include Alexei Navalny on the [Russian] political agenda. Yes, this is probably not important now, since we have the opportunity to observe the end of the project. Navalny was very quickly brought into the big game in order to exclude Russia from an even more global game – the battle for Belarus. Everyone, both those who have invested a lot of money into this person from abroad for many years and those who saw him as a real leader and future president of Russia, understands now that spending more money on him is useless.

Disproof

Conspiracy theory. Recurring pro-Kremlin disinformation narrative about Alexei Navalny alleging that he was sponsored by anti-Russian forces, while also deflecting the news agenda away from responsibility for his poisoning. Alexei Navalny is a key Russian opposition politician and an anti-corruption activist. He is a founder and a leader of the "Anti-Corruption Foundation" ("Fond Boriby s Korrypciey"), where he uncovered the life of Russian politicians and businessmen close to the government, different corruption practices, etc. He ran in in the Moscow mayoral elections in 2013 and came second. He claimed election fraud but still lost the elections. In 2018, he was campaigning for the Presidency of Russia but the Central Electoral Commission barred him from participation. The Russian government detained him multiple times and prosecuted for different criminal and administrative offences. Alexey Navalny fell ill during a flight and his plane to make an emergency landing in Omsk, where doctors said he was in a coma and they were trying to save his life. Since then he has been transferred to Berlin and is receiving treatment at Berlin's Charite Hospital. The German federal government said that toxicological tests provided “unequivocal evidence of a chemical nerve agent of the Novichok group” in the blood samples of Alexei Navalny. The European Union condemned poisoning of Alexei Navalny in the strongest possible terms. Read similar disinformation messages alleging that the West has an interest in the death of Navalny to launch a new wave of sanctions against Russia, that only traces of alcohol and caffeine were found in Navalny's blood, that the West will falsely accuse Russia of poisoning Navalny, as with Skripal and Litvinenko or that US used Navalny case to block Russian vaccine against COVID-19.