DISINFO: Statement about Navalny's poisoning aims to curb Putin's desire to interfere in Belarus
SUMMARY
Merkel’s statement about Navalny’s poisoning is a falsification. There was no poisoning of Navalny. They did it to curb Putin’s desire to interfere in Belarus’ affairs.
RESPONSE
Recurring pro-Kremlin disinformation narrative on Navalny poisoning. Тhe message followed Angela Merkel's statement that "Novichok poisoning of Navalny was attempted murder". The claim is a conspiracy theory that tries to artificially link Navalny poisoning with protests in Belarus and Russia's intention to "help" Lukashenko. Consistent with the Kremlin propaganda narrative that the poisoning of Russian opposition leader is in the interest of the West to use the case against Russia. See similar disinformation narratives that the West has an interest in the death of Navalny to launch a new wave of sanctions against Russia and West will falsely accuse Russia of poisoning Navalny, as with Skripal and Litvinenko, or US hopes that the Navalny case will lead to the cancellation of Nord Stream 2. Background: Russian opposition leader and a critic of Vladimir Putin Alexey Navalny has been suffering from suspected poisoning. He fell ill(opens in a new tab) 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. Navalny has since been transferred (opens in a new tab)to Berlin and is receiving treatment at Berlin's Charite Hospital. Clinical findings indicate poisoning with a substance from the group of cholinesterase inhibitors, said Charite. The European Union condemned poisoning of Alexei Navalny in the strongest possible terms.