Verdicts
Friday 1 July 2022
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“The United States military does not recognize the United States Supreme Court revoking the constitutional right to abortion, which could turn into a constitutional crisis in the United States.”
The writer, popular on China’s Twitter-like platform, distorts the U.S. defense secretary’s comments after last week’s Supreme Court ruling. -
“The British establishment does not get tired of preparing for a nuclear apocalypse, inventing nonexistent statements by Russia on that score.”
In fact, Russian public discourse regularly features nuclear saber-rattling, including threats against the U.K. -
“Terrorism was the main cause of the outbreak of violence in Rakhine in 2016 and 2017.”
Decades of repressing Myanmar’s Rohingya population led to violence that the government used to launch genocidal campaign. -
“During the 150-plus years of British colonial rule, there was no democracy in Hong Kong whatsoever … [Now residents] enjoy a wide range of democratic rights and freedoms like never before.”
In fact, China dismantled democracy in Hong Kong. Declassified records show Beijing stopped moves toward democracy even under British rule. -
“[W]hile strengthening our economic, technological and scientific potential, we are ready to work openly with all bona fide partners based on the principles of mutual respect for each other's interests, the primacy of international law, and equality for all nations and peoples.”
Verdict Introduction: Putin’s war on Ukraine flouts international law, and while Russia still profits from oil and gas, its economy is hurting as investors flee and inflation takes hold. -
“Western sanctions on Russia worsen global food crisis: Russian Deputy PM”
Russia falsely paints itself as victim of a food crisis it manufactured by unleashing a war on Ukraine. -
“The Kyiv regime disseminated information about Zelenskyy’s alleged secret visit to Lysychansk, where he supposedly came under fire. Against the backdrop of military failures, the Kiev regime continues to spread false stories …”
Zelenskyy’s visit to Lysychansk on June 5 was documented in official video and photos. It came a time of fierce defensive resistance from Ukraine forces in the area. -
“You, the Western colleagues, won’t manage to exploit the topic of the alleged cases of sexual violence in Ukraine involving Russian servicemen. Fakes and lies are all that you have.”
Human rights investigators and news media have documented testimony from Ukrainian victims of sexual violence by Russian soldiers. -
“[A]fter visiting Xinjiang and the rest of China, she didn’t find any evidence of genocide.”
While the U.N. human rights chief explicitly stated her visit wasn’t an investigation, China has spun it as such to score propaganda points. -
“The city was under Ukrainian yoke for eight years. On May 20, 2022, the last of Azov’s militants have surrendered. Mariupol was finally liberated from the Ukrainian nationalists.”
This Russian propaganda video, spread in the U.K., is full of disinformation about the fall of Mariupol. -
“It is a false claim when certain countries call the Taiwan Strait ‘international waters’ in order to find a pretext for manipulating issues related to Taiwan and threatening China’s sovereignty and security.”
According to Bloomberg News, China has privately told the United States that the Taiwan Strait isn’t international waters. Not true. -
Foreign troops who joined the Armed Forces of Ukraine are entitled to POW rights under the Geneva Conventions.