Russia to invite those involved in provocations in Syria to OPCW’s next session

THE HAGUE, April 16. /TASS/. Russia’s Permanent Representative to the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) Alexander Shulgin has promised to bring those who were involved in staging provocations in Syria to the next OPCW meeting.

“We warned them that next time when they want to discuss the Syrian problem, we will bring here, in The Hague, those people who took part in the White Helmet’s choreographed episodes, who, voluntarily or not, were involved in the huge provocations, be it in Syria’s Douma or in Khan Shaykhun,” he said.

The Russian ambassador told the OPCW Executive Council that Russian specialists who probed into the reports about the use of chemical weapons in Douma had found those who took part in filming the rent-a-mob chemical attack in Syria’s Douma and these people told how the video had been shot. “They demonstrated videos with their participation. Both men have medical diplomas and work with the emergency department of Douma’s hospital,” Shulgin said, adding this video was a provocation staged by pseudo-humanitarian non-government organizations, including the White Helmets.

Some non-governmental organizations, including White Helmets, claim that chemical weapons were used in Douma, Eastern Ghouta, on April 7. According to the statement uploaded to the organization’s website on April 8, chlorine bombs were dropped on the city to kill dozens and poison other local civilians who had to be brought to hospital.

The Russian foreign ministry dismissed that as fake news. The Russian defense ministry stated that White Helmets were an unreliable source, notorious for disseminating falsehoods. The Russian center for the reconciliation of conflicting parties on April 9 examined Douma to find no traces of chemical weapons.