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We investigate corruption, uncover fake news and analyze the news agenda. The BIC is a member of the global network of investigative journalists.

Our journalists are the recipients of the national award “Free Word” from the Association of Journalists of Belarus in 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021 and 2022. At "Free Word" 2021 BIC’s team also received first place for Analytics

BIC is a member of the OCCRP (Organized Crime and Corruption Reporting Project)

We are also members of GIJN (Global Investigative Journalism Network)

Antifake / Factcheck

19 жніўня 2022

Fake news of the week: Due to the shortage of Russian gas, the Germans began using group cremation

Due to the gas shortage, crematoria in Germany burn 5 bodies at a time. According to the host of the programme "60 Minutes" and at the same time the Russian State Duma deputy, Yevgeny Popov, crematoriums in Germany cremate 5 bodies at a time because of the gas shortage

Authors:
Editors:
Due to the gas shortage, crematoria in Germany burn 5 bodies at a time. According to the host of the programme "60 Minutes" and at the same time the Russian State Duma deputy, Yevgeny Popov, crematoriums in Germany cremate 5 bodies at a time because of the gas shortage: 

"In Germany itself, because of the gas problems, they have started saving even on memorial services. These shots show the entrance in a crematorium in Dresden. A note on the door says that due to gas shortages, collective cremation is now practised. Five bodies at a time. Then the received ashes are divided amongst the five. Monstrous. On the other hand, Germany is in NATO."

Monstrous indeed. After all, it turned out to be a fake. We called the Werner Billing funeral home, which supposedly has this note on its door. And this is what we were told:

"This is totally untrue, it's a fake. Probably to hurt us in some way, or just to stir up anxiety. This picture that is circulating on the internet is not ours and we didn't take it. They took the background photo and our logo from our website and put together an image with the text. So it's an absolute fake."