Russia to bring Syrians in 'staged' chemical attack videos to watchdog meeting
Russian diplomats will bring a group of Syrians to the international chemical weapons watchdog who the Russians claim were filmed in "staged videos" of an alleged chemical attack on the town of Douma earlier this month.
Russian Embassy spokesman Mikhail Sobolev said about 15 Syrians will attend a meeting at the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons tomorrow to brief member states.
The OPCW, which has sent a team of inspectors to Syria to investigate the alleged attack, had no immediate comment.
The event is part of an ongoing clash of narratives between the West and Syria and its key ally Russia about the April 7 attack.
Opposition activists and emergency personnel in Douma say the attack was carried out by government forces and killed more than 40 people.
The US, France and Britain also blamed the Syrian government, and launched punitive airstrikes a week after the attack.
Six days after the incident, Russia's Defence Ministry accused the UK of direct involvement in staging video images of alleged victims.
The UK vehemently denied the Russian accusation.
