France accuses Russia of making false statements about the chemical attack in Syria
Russia is spreading contradictory statements on the chemical attack in the Syrian city of Douma, said the French Ministry for Foreign Affairs in a statement published on the Ministry's website. These statements contradict the facts gathered by Paris, French diplomats stated.
French officials stated that the experts of the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) still do not have access to the place where the chemical attack took place. According to the French Foreign Ministry, this may be an attempt [ by Russia] to hide evidence of the use of chemical weapons. "Full, immediate, and unhindered access must therefore be granted to the OPCW team, as we have always demanded," the statement said.
The Ministry noted that while OPCW experts have no access to the place of attack, Russian authorities are spreading "contradictory" stories about what happened. "One day, it didn’t take place; the next day, it was carried out by armed groups; the day after that, it was staged by the West. There’s no concern for consistency or truth, because it’s all about sowing doubt and confusion," the statement said.
The French government remains convinced of the Syrian government’s involvement in the chemical attack, due to the evidence collected by French experts. France was convinced of the authenticity of the photos and video footage of the attack and of eyewitness testimonies.
In addition, the use of chemical weapons was recorded by numerous non-governmental humanitarian organizations. At the end of the statement, the Ministry provided a link to the report prepared by French experts that contains the evidence of the involvement of Moscow and Damascus in the chemical attack.