Disinfo: Warsaw and Vilnius trying to turn the Belarusian protests into a civic conflict

Summary

The Belarusian protests are managed from Poland and incited from Lithuania. Their aim is to turn the crisis into a civic conflict. Their ambassadors should be withdrawn from Belarus.

Disproof

This publication promotes recurring pro-Kremlin disinformation narratives about Belarus protests as being organised and controlled from abroad, particularly from Poland and Lithuania, and as West's attempt to organise a colour revolution. There is no evidence that Poland, the Baltic states or any other Western governments are involved in any way in the protests in Belarus. Large-scale protests began in Minsk on August 9 against the results of the presidential election, and then in other cities. People revolted against election fraud and police violence towards thousands of rally participants. According to statistical data and independent observers, the official result of the presidential election was itself heavily doctored. A joint monitoring effort by three NGOs demonstrates the scale of falsification based on election protocols from 1,310 polling stations across Belarus and concludes that the announced result (80% of votes cast for Lukashenka) is mathematically "impossible" (p. 7). An analysis by the Novaya Gazeta newspaper shows that excluding "anomalous" voting districts from the official tally would see Lukashenka's percentage drop to 43%, and Tsikhanouskaya's surge to 45%, in which case a second round would have to be called. “We are extremely alarmed at the hundreds of allegations of torture and other ill-treatment in police custody,” UN human rights experts said, citing reports of 450 documented cases. The European Council condemned, on 19 August 2020, the violence against peaceful protesters and announced that it would soon adopt a list of sanctions for those responsible for violence in Belarus. "As the elections in Belarus were neither free nor fair, and did not meet international standards, the EU does not recognize the results presented by the Belarus authorities," is mentioned in a European Council press release. See earlier disinformation cases claiming that the West supports a bloody post-election Maidan scenario in Belarus, that the West's only interest in Belarus is to make it anti-Russian, and that Belarus moves towards complete colonization by the West.

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sputnik.by (Archived)
  • Reported in: Issue 211
  • DATE OF PUBLICATION: 24/08/2020
  • Outlet language(s) Russian
  • Countries and/or Regions discussed in the disinformation: Poland, Belarus, Lithuania
  • Keywords: Protest, Colour revolutions, Conspiracy theory
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Disinfo: The West has an interest in the death of Navalny to launch a new wave of sanctions against Russia

The tragic death of Alexei Navalny (who is still alive) is in the interest of the West to spark a new wave of sanctions and black PR against Russia. If Putin had feared Navalny, he would get rid of him in a more acceptable way a long time ago.

Aug 23, 2020
Disproof

Recurring pro-Kremlin disinformation narrative on Navalny poisoning. Similar narrative as in the case of Skripal, based on conspiracies, denials and fabrication in order to cover up Russia's responsibility. Russian propaganda has long been pursuing the claims that the Skripal case was made up to justify sanctions against Russia and was an example of Russophobia. Background: Russian opposition leader and a critic of Vladimir Putin Alexey Navalny has been suffering from suspected poisoning. He fell ill during a flight and the plane to make an emergency landing in Omsk, where doctors said he was in a coma and they were trying to save his life. Siberian doctors denied allegations on poisoning. Navalny has been transferred to Berlin and is receiving treatment at Berlin's Charite Hospital. The EU High Representative Josep Borell condemns in a statement what seems to be an attempt on Mr. Navalny's life.

Disinfo: Only traces of alcohol and caffeine were found in Navalny's blood

Specialists conducted a series of tests, three independent laboratories were doing it at once. They excluded the version of poisoning, as only traces of alcohol and caffeine were found.

[…]

The patient [Alexei Navalny] will not be treated in Europe’s largest hospital – Charite. It was a specialist of this clinic which confirmed the poisoning of Yushchenko during the Orange Revolution, although Yushchenko refused to give another blood sample and the investigation to this day tries to determine not who was guilty, but whether he was poisoned at all.

Aug 23, 2020
Disproof

The preliminary test results from the Charité – Universitätsmedizin hospital in Berlin indicate that the Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny was poisoned during his stay in Siberia.

Clinical findings indicate poisoning with a substance from the group of cholinesterase inhibitors. The specific substance involved remains unknown.

Disinfo: Protests in Belarus are coordinated by Western countries and the opposition wants bloodshed

Ongoing protests in Belarus are coordinated from the West which wants to transform the country to meet its interests. The Belarusian opposition located in Western countries does not want the protests to be peaceful but rather seeks bloodshed. Tsikhanouskaya is now under pressure in Lithuania.

Aug 23, 2020
Disproof

Recurring pro-Kremlin disinformation narrative about protests in Belarus. The European Union has not recognised the election because of widespread reports of vote-rigging. European Council President Charles Michel stated that “[t]he protests in Belarus are not about geopolitics. This is about the right of the People to freely elect their leadership”. The protests do not have a co-ordinator but are rather organised locally in reaction to current events. Svetlana Tikhanovskaya is now referred to as the opposition leader. She was the other presidential candidate who left for Lithuania after detention and pressure in Belarus and is now safe according to the Lithuanian Foreign Minister Linas Linkevicius. She has called for an end to the violence and for peaceful protests. She also urged the current Belarusian authorities to engage in a dialogue with the protesters to resolve the situation. See similar cases claiming that the actions of the protesters in Belarus are controlled by foreign centres, that the West is using the "colour revolutions" methodologies in Belarus or that USA, NATO and EU want to dictate a regime-change to the people of Belarus.