FACT CHECK: Was Operation Warp Speed Architect Moncef Slaoui Hanged At Guantanamo Bay?
A post shared on Facebook purports Operation Warp Speed architect and former Moderna board member Moncef Slaoui was hanged at Guantanamo Bay Mar. 27.
Verdict: False
The claim stems from a satirical website. There is no evidence supporting the claim.
Fact Check:
Slaoui worked at Moderna prior to leading Operation Warp Speed under former President Donald Trump’s administration, according to CNBC. Following his work on Operation Warp Speed, Slaoui served as chair of the board of directors at Galvani Bioelectronics until he was fired in March 2021 over alleged sexual harassment, NBC News reported.
The Facebook post purports Slaoui was allegedly hanged at Guantanamo Bay on Mar. 27, 2023. The post further claims Slaoui’s purported execution was overseen by the U.S. Navy Judge Advocate General (JAG) Adm. Darse E. Crandall and a few high-ranking officers. Slaoui supposedly “hurled Arabic curses” at Crandall before he was killed.
The claim is false. There are no credible news reports suggesting Slaoui was allegedly hanged at Guantanamo Bay on Mar. 27, 2023. Likewise, the claim neither appears on the U.S. Navy JAG Corps website nor its verified social media accounts. In addition, Moderna has not publicly addressed the purported claim.
A keyword search reveals the claim stems from a Mar. 29 article published by the website “Real Raw News.” A disclaimer included on the site’s “About Us” page indicates it contains “humor, parody, and satire.” (RELATED: Was Ron DeSantis Denied Entry To Guantanamo Bay For A Second Time?)
The latest article is also a follow-up to two previous pieces published by the site. The first piece purports Slaoui knew allegedly knew Moderna’s COVID-19 vaccine had killed 34 of 600 Phase II trial participants in June 2020, while the second piece purports JAG had supposedly convicted Slaoui of treason and mass murder and sentenced him to death by hanging for other COVID-19 vaccine-related deceptions.
Check Your Fact has contacted the U.S. Navy JAG Corps for comment and will update this piece accordingly if one is received.
