FACT CHECK: Claim That JAG Purportedly Hanged WHO Official Is Satire
A post shared on Facebook claims the U.S. Navy Judge Advocate General’s (JAG) Corps purportedly hanged World Health Organization (WHO) official Dr. Chickwe Ihekweazu.
Verdict: False
The claim is false and originally stems from a Feb. 10 article published on the satire site “Real Raw News.” A spokesperson for the U.S. Navy JAG Corps denied the claim’s validity in an email to Check Your Fact.
Fact Check:
The WHO is reportedly trying to provide aid to Gaza’s Nasser Hospital following a recent Israeli raid, according to the Jerusalem Post. Israel purportedly struck the hospital based on information that Hamas is holding hostages there, the outlet reported.
The Facebook post claims the U.S. Navy JAG Corps purportedly hanged Ihekweazu after Ihekweazu allegedly “surreptitiously entered the United States to discuss enacting fresh shelter-in-place and vaccine mandates with the [Center for Disease Control and Prevention]’s nefarious Rapid Response Team.” The post further claims Ihekweazu’s purported Feb. 3 execution was supposedly overseen by Vice Adm. Darse E. Crandall.
The claim is false and originally stems from a Feb. 10 article published on the satire site “Real Raw News.” A “Disclaimer” included on the site’s “About Us” page indicates its content is not meant to be taken literally. “Information on this website is for informational and educational and entertainment purposes. This website contains humor, parody, and satire. We have included this disclaimer for our protection, on the advice on legal counsel,” the disclaimer reads.
Likewise, Check Your Fact found no credible news reports indicating the U.S. Navy JAG Corps purportedly hanged Ihekweazu. In fact, the opposite is true. Lead Stories also labeled the claim as false in a Feb. 15 article.
In addition, the U.S. Navy JAG Corps has neither referenced the claim on its website nor its social media accounts. The WHO has not publicly commented on the claim, either. (RELATED: Claim That U.S. Navy JAG Allegedly Hanged Tanya Skeen Is Satire)
According to his LinkedIn profile, Ihekweazu is the Assistant Director General at the WHO.
Patricia Babb, a spokesperson for the U.S. Navy JAG Corps, denied the claim’s validity in an email to Check Your Fact.
“This [claim] is not true,” Babb said.