Disproof

Recurring pro-Kremlin disinformation on the White Helmets to distract the audience from Syrian government's use of chemical weapons. Another round of disinformation about the White Helmets preparing a staged chemical attack in Syria started spreading on August 25 by the Russian Ministry of Defence; see latest cases on White Helmets: https://euvsdisinfo.eu/disinformation-cases/?text=white+helmets&disinfo_issue=&date=

The photo comes from a video of White Helmet volunteers who were participating in the “Mannequin Challenge,” a viral internet video trend from 2016, in an attempt call attention to the situation in Syria. The organization later apologized for participating in the trend.

Further debunking by Polygraph.

Earlier, pro-Kremlin disinformation has claimed that both the 2017 attack in Khan Sheikhoun and 2018 in Douma were faked. UN-OPCW Joint Investigative Mechanism found Syria’s Government responsible for last year’s attack in Khan Shaykhun. On April 10 2018 Russia vetoed a U.S.-drafted U.N. Security Council resolution that would have created a new inquiry to ascertain responsibility for chemical weapons attacks in Syria.

Read more: www.lemonde.fr/les-decodeurs/article/2018/08/31/attaques-chimiques-en-syrie-les-intox-de-la-russie-pour-brouiller-les-pistes_5348708_4355770.html#xtor=AL-32280270

Background:

On 7 April 2018, a high number of civilians were killed in the besieged Syrian city of Douma, with evidence pointing towards another chemical attack by the regime,according to the EU.

According to the World Health Organisation, during the shelling of Douma on Saturday, an estimated 500 patients presented to health facilities exhibiting signs and symptoms consistent with exposure to toxic chemicals. http://www.who.int/mediacentre/news/statements/2018/chemical-attacks-syria/en/

See also Bellingcat's open source survey on the suspected chemical attack: https://www.bellingcat.com/news/mena/2018/04/11/open-source-survey-alleged-chemical-attacks-douma-7th-april-2018/

In September 2017, the UN Commission of Inquiry on the Syrian Arab Republic summarized 33 separate incidents where it had found use of chemical weapons. Since then there have been several additional suspected chemical attacks. Between March 2013 and March 2017, the Commission documented 25 incidents of chemical weapons use in the Syrian Arab Republic, of which 20 were proven to have been perpetrated by government forces and used primarily against civilians.



http://www.ohchr.org/EN/HRBodies/HRC/IICISyria/Pages/IndependentInternationalCommission.aspx