Disinfo: Western politicians did not support the German version of Navalny's poisoning by Novichok

Summary

The statements of the German side that Alexei Navalny was allegedly poisoned by Novichok caused bewilderment among Western politicians.

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. In fact, a number of western leaders condemned the poisoning of Alexey Navalny. NATO and the European Union condemned the poisoning of Alexei Navalny in the strongest possible terms. Commission President Ursula von der Leyen tweeted "I was informed by Chancellor Merkel that Russian opposition leader Navalny was attacked with a nerve agent, in his own country. This is a despicable and cowardly act - once again. Perpetrators need to be brought to justice." Canada’s Foreign Affairs Minister François Philippe Champagne said that his country "is deeply troubled by new reports from experts in Germany who concluded that Alexei Navalny, a prominent political opposition figure in Russia, was poisoned by a nerve agent of the Novichok group". He emphasized that "the use of chemical weapons is abhorrent and unacceptable." French Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian said "I want to condemn in the strongest terms the shocking and irresponsible use of such an agent." Le Drian mentioned that the use of Novichok violated international laws banning chemical weapons. Find more reactions from Western leaders here. Background: On August 20 the prominent Russian opposition figure Alexey Navalny fell ill during a flight and the plane was forced to make an emergency landing in Omsk, where doctors said that he was in a coma and that they were trying to save his life. Since then he has been transferred(opens in a new tab) to Berlin and is receiving treatment at Berlin's Charite Hospital. On September 3, 2020, the German government published a statement(opens in a new tab) that described how a military laboratory, certified by the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW), had found traces of the Novichok nerve agent in samples taken from Navalny. Later, German Chancellor Angela Merkel gave a special briefing. She told(opens in a new tab) reporters that “There is unequivocal proof of the presence of this agent in the samples. It is therefore clear that Alexei Navalny is the victim of a crime.” The German government has briefed(opens in a new tab) its allies in the European Union and NATO and plans to provide information about its findings to the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW).

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fedpress.ru (Archived)
  • Reported in: Issue 210
  • DATE OF PUBLICATION: 04/09/2020
  • Outlet language(s) Russian
  • Countries and/or Regions discussed in the disinformation: Germany, Russia
  • Keywords: novichok, Alexei Navalny
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Disinfo: The Baltic States and Poland are blowing Belarus up from the inside

The Baltic States and Poland are blowing Belarus up from the inside. The West loudly reproaches Russia for “interfering in the affairs of Belarus” – and this is at the very moment a number of Western countries brazenly put pressure on Belarusian society and the state. Vilnius faces two challenges. Firstly, position themselves as the main fighters against the Russian world (of which Lukashenka is considered a part, as well as the way the Belarusian president communicates with his people). Secondly, to actively make money on this positioning – given the deplorable state of the Lithuanian economy, the country really needs money. Warsaw needs an obedient (or better yet, a puppet) regime in Minsk to create an image of Poland as a regional power, thereby increasing its influence and opportunities within the European Union.

Sep 03, 2020
Disproof

This is part of a Russian disinformation campaign about Belarus based on recurring pro-Kremlin disinformation narratives alleging that the West is destabilising the situation in Minsk and provoking military actions on the Belarusian borders. There is no evidence that that the West, nor Poland and Lithuania in particular, are trying to destabilise the situation in Belarus. Poland and Lithuania support the independence and territorial integrity of Belarus and they do not have any territorial claims against their neighbour. According to Reuters, Lithuania declared it does not pose a threat to Belarus. “The Belarus crisis is a political one, and any allegations by the Belarus leadership about foreign countries’ interference or about any threats they pose are an attempt to shift blame and justify its own actions,” said Lithuanian Defence Minister Raimundas Karoblis. The Foreign Minister of Lithuania Linas Linkevičius said Lukashenko’s statement about a military buildup “is a lie” and is meant to create an excuse to call for help from Russia. Lithuania hosted military manoeuvres on August 2-14, which included 1,100 of its own troops and 200 U.S. soldiers and 10 U.S. military helicopters arriving from Poland. Poland refutes accusations about alleged military provocations towards Belarus and attempts to destabilise the neighbouring country. An aide to Poland's president, Krzysztof Szczerski stated that such accusations were unacceptable and that no one in Poland would take advantage of the political turmoil in Belarus. The countries of the European Union have nothing to do with the mass protests in Belarus: rallies of thousands broke out after Aleksandr Lukashenko, who has ruled for 26 years, declared that he had “won a convincing victory” in the elections. The current protests in Belarus began on the evening of August 9; to disperse the protesters, the security forces are using rubber bullets, flash grenades, tear gas, shockers and water cannons. On the day of voting, the centre of Minsk was blocked by security forces, whilst communications and the Internet were jammed in the city. Read similar cases: "Lublin Triangle" - the organiser of the coup in Belarus and Poland is openly leading a coup in Belarus.

Disinfo: Navalny case is a project to build up opposition against Nord Stream 2

In the case of Navalny, you have to ask yourself, who benefits from this? We can say one thing for certain. There is a big problem that NATO wants to stop the completion of the “Nord Stream 2” project and in the corona times, they [NATO] have almost no chance of finding anything against Russia that they can use in the media and even cover up the corona hysteria to oppose the Nord Stream 2 project. The most important question is who benefits from the “Navalny case”. According to experts, NATO could prevent the completion of the Nord Stream 2 project.

Sep 03, 2020
Disproof

An unsupported conspiracy theory that the poisoning of Aleksey Navalny was a secret project to prevent Nord Stream 2. There is no ground for connecting the Navalny case with the construction of Nord Stream 2. A prominent Russian opposition figure, Aleksey 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 Charité 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 Aleksey Navalny. The European Union condemned the poisoning of Aleksey Navalny in the strongest possible terms. See related disinformation cases alleging that the US hopes that the Navalny case will lead to the cancellation of Nord Stream 2; 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: Charité clinic is a political dump that is used in a special operation against Russia

The Charité Clinic has confirmed its status as a political dump. There is no doubt that the German Charité clinic would give Navalny the diagnosis they need. There is no doubt that this is the most politically engaged clinic in the world. But the Federal Republic of Germany will not be able to prove Russia’s involvement in the poisoning [of Aleksey Navalny], because the evidence does not exist in nature. The only benefit is a new informational wave that will be used by all Western media and the opposition in Russia. It was the main task of this “special operation”; it is another attempt to defame the government of the Russian Federation in the eyes of the world community.

Sep 03, 2020
Disproof

Recurring pro-Kremlin disinformation narrative on the poisoning of Russian oppositional politician and anti-corruption activist Aleksei Navalny. A specialised laboratory of the German armed forces proved that Aleksei Navalny was poisoned by a military-grade chemical nerve agent of the "Novichok" group. After Aleksey Navalny was admitted to the Charité clinic, its doctors confirmed, after a careful investigation, that the Russian politician was poisoned by a substance from the group of cholinesterase inhibitors:

"Clinical findings indicate poisoning with a substance from the group of cholinesterase inhibitors. The specific substance involved remains unknown, and a further series of comprehensive testing has been initiated. The effect of the poison – namely, the inhibition of cholinesterase in the body – was confirmed by multiple tests in independent laboratories."

See 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, and that the West will falsely accuse Russia of poisoning Navalny, as with Skripal and Litvinenko.