Charlie Hebdo files a complaint over allegedly fabricated covers, claiming they are forms of Russian propaganda
Charlie Hebdo editorial team alleges 15 fake newspaper covers over a two-year period, with the team asserting that the fabricated pages were designed to give an impression of support for the policies of Russian President Vladimir Putin. The team stated this in a recent statement, according to AFP.
The team has filed a complaint with a Paris court, aiming to identify the creators of these fabricated pages and potentially their instigators. This pursuit is driven by the intention to dispel any doubt these manipulations might raise within public opinion.
These falsified covers adopt Charlie Hebdo's distinctive style, containing cartoons that mock Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and the Ukrainian army, as well as the signatures of the newspaper's cartoonists. They have been circulated via Telegram, X, and other social media platforms.
Additionally, other fake covers deride Britain's migration policy or promote false conspiracy theories about France's First Lady, Brigitte Macron. Notably, these covers are often accompanied by Russian captions or comments.
According to the complaint, these forgeries exhibit an industrious approach, with numerous high-quality covers that could potentially mislead those unaware of the newspaper's editorial stance.
Lawyer Richard Malka notes a clear intention behind this pro-Russian propaganda, aimed at undermining Ukraine and creating an impression that Charlie Hebdo supports Putin.
Since Russia's invasion of Ukraine in 2022, it has used information warfare as a means of acquiring public support for the conflict. The EU DisinfoLab previously brought attention to a pro-Russian Doppelganger disinformation operation. However, there is no direct evidence as of yet linking the fake Charlie Hebdo covers to this specific operation. The focus of these fake covers is predominantly on deriding Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, aiming to influence public opinion, particularly within Russia.
In the past, Charlie Hebdo faced a terrorist attack in 2015, following its publication of caricatures of the Prophet Mohammed. The newspaper now seeks to protect its image and values from such manipulations and any doubts they might raise in the public eye.
(with AFP)
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- The Charlie Hebdo editorial team claims that over a two-year period, they have discovered 15 fake newspaper covers that appear to support the policies of Russian President Vladimir Putin, with the intention to mislead the public.
- These fabricated covers, resemblant of the original Charlie Hebdo style, contain derogatory cartoons about Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky, Britain's migration policy, and France's First Lady, Brigitte Macron, often accompanied by Russian captions or comments.
- The team has filed a complaint in a Paris court, seeking to identify the creators and instigators of these forgeries, with the aim of dispelling any doubt arising from these manipulations that might impact public opinion.
- The proliferation of these fake covers, especially those targeting Ukraine's President, seems designed to influence public opinion within Russia, mirroring Russia's use of information warfare since invading Ukraine in 2022, as previously exposed by EU DisinfoLab in their Doppelganger disinformation operation.
