FACT CHECK: Was The Director Of The World Health Organization Arrested For ‘Crimes Against Humanity’?

Christine Sellers | Fact Check Reporter

A post shared on Facebook claims World Health Organization (WHO) Director Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus was arrested for “crimes against humanity and genocide.”

Verdict: False

There is no evidence Ghebreyesus has been arrested or charged with any crime. The claim stems from a satirical website.

Fact Check:

Ghebreyesus was elected to serve a five-year term as Director-General of the WHO in 2017 and was re-elected to the position in May 2022, according to a news release from the organization. The director-general recently acted as a tiebreaker for a decision by the agency to declare monkeypox a “global health emergency,” Reuters reported.

Now, a Facebook post shows a screengrab of a tweet purporting Ghebreyesus was arrested by agents of Interpol for “crimes against humanity and genocide.” The original tweet has received over 300 retweets as of publication time.

The claim is baseless, however. There are no credible news reports suggesting Ghebreyesus has been arrested or charged with any crime by any international court. Neither the WHO nor Interpol has issued a statement about Ghebreyesus’ alleged arrest on their respective websites. There is likewise no mention of such an action on the verified social media accounts of either organization.

A keyword search reveals the claim stems from a July 24 article published by the Vancouver Times, an online satire website. The site identifies itself as “the most trusted source for satire on the West Coast.” (RELATED: FACT CHECK: Have Bill Gates, Anthony Fauci, The WHO, And Others Been Charged For War Crimes?)

Check Your Fact reached out to the WHO and Interpol for comment and will update this piece accordingly if one is received.

Christine Sellers

Fact Check Reporter

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