Accusations Against Syria In OPCW Of 2018 Chemical Attack 'Absurd' - Russian Envoy

At the 97th session of the Executive Council of the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW), Damascus was accused of using chemical weapons in Saraqib in 2018 in retaliation for the downed Russian plane, these accusations are absurd and do not stand up to criticism, Alexander Shulgin, Russia's permanent representative to the organization, told Sputnik

PARIS (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 09th July, 2021) At the 97th session of the Executive Council of the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW), Damascus was accused of using chemical weapons in Saraqib in 2018 in retaliation for the downed Russian plane, these accusations are absurd and do not stand up to criticism, Alexander Shulgin, Russia's permanent representative to the organization, told Sputnik.

The 97th session of OPCW Executive Council was held in The Hague from July 6-9.

"During the last session of the Executive Council, the IIT [Investigation and Identification Team] presented another portion of its developments, now on the incident in Syria's Saraqib in 2018. The indictments against Damascus did not come as a surprise to anyone," Shulgin said.

According to the envoy, the "attributors" admit in the document that in fact there was no tactical benefit from the use of chemical weapons for the Syrian government forces.

He noted that "this does not bother them at all: the order has been received, and generous donations from Western donors are pouring in, so they need to be work it off."

"And, consequently, it is necessary to find a motive that would correspond to a pre-built version of what happened. And then the IIT did not think of anything better than to weave the notorious 'Russian trace:' they say, it seemed to someone that the chemical attack was the Syrians' revenge for the previously shot down Russian plane. The absurdity of this version, as well as of the entire so-called evidence base on which the pseudo-investigation is built, does not stand up to criticism," Shulgin emphasized.