A post by a Facebook page named Nahoo Media with more than 32,100 followers, claimed that the European Union (EU) chief Charles Michel told Deutsche Welle that the EU would take legal action against protesters in any European country that would support the “Genocide.” The text was written in Amharic and said it was Breaking news. HaqCheck has interrogated the post and confirmed that the Facebook post is FALSE.
The European Union(EU) has been reflecting its concern about Tigray’s conflict since the war started in November 2020. Josep Borrell, High Representative and Vice President of the EU, gave statements on Nov 09, 2020, and Dec 3, 2020, conveying the EU’s concern regarding peace and stability of the broader region, suggesting that dialogue is the only way to move forward.
In other statements, the EU has stressed that Humanitarian access and assistance should be allowed to reach all areas in Tigray, protection of civilians and refugees should be guaranteed. Eritrean troops should withdraw from Ethiopia, access to international media to Tigray must be authorized, and local journalists must be protected, Eu Added. “We condemn, in the strongest possible terms, all crimes against civilians and call for perpetrators to be swiftly brought to justice,” says Josep Borrell in another statement given on 26 Feb 2021, addressing the level of suffering endured by civilians based on the report by Amnesty International. EU envoys went to Mekelle, Tigray, on 10 March 2021 and had a meeting with the Tigray interim administration.
There were also rallies by Ethiopians and Eritreans in different parts of the world to support the “law enforcement” by the Ethiopian government, let the world know about the situation in Tigray, and address international media and organizations should not be one-sided.
However, Jozef NAUDTS, the political officer of the Delegation of the European Union to Ethiopia, EU Council President Charles Michel made no such statements. “this information is not true,” said the political officer in the email he sent to HaqCheck.
Despite the EU’s consecutive statements stressing about the situation and the human rights violation in Tigray, HaqCheck confirmed that the EU didn’t state anything related to rallies in European countries and rendered the post FALSE.
Fact Checked by: Rehobot Ayalew
The following article is part of HaqCheck, Addis Zeybe’s multilingual fact-checking running in five languages (Affan Oromo, Amharic, Somali, Tigrinya, and English)
