Pentagon spokesperson rubbishes claim 'US Navy executed senior WHO official'

"JAG Hangs WHO Despot. Dr Chickwe Ihekweazu's (sic) hanging took place on February 3," reads part of a post shared on social media platform X here on February 11, 2024.

The post links to an article published the previous day by Real Raw News, which has previously spread baseless allegations of the US military making arrests and about Covid-19 vaccines.

The article claims Chikwe Ihekweazu -- who is an assistant director-general at the World Health Organization (WHO) -- was hanged by the US Navy Judge Advocate General’s (JAG) Corps at the Guantanamo Bay military base on February 3 (archived link).

A quote from the article, purportedly from a source who said a video of the execution was sent to the WHO headquarters in Geneva, is also copied in the post.

It reads: "Our message is clear: Any WHO in the U.S. will be arrested and tried. If they want to preach mandates and lethal so-called vaccines with snake venom, let them do it elsewhere."

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A screenshot of the false post, captured on February 23, 2024

The article was also shared from Real Raw News' official account on X here, while similar claims were shared in posts from users based in the United States, Australia and India.

The site's About Us page carries a disclaimer that says: "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."

Despite the disclaimer, comments on the posts suggested users were misled.

 "That's justice!" read one comment. 

Another said: "It's happening too slowly."

But a spokesperson for the US Department of Defense told AFP on February 20: "This is not true."

Posts on Ihekweazu's X account also indicate he was active on the social media platform after February 3, the purported execution date. 

His account published photos from the International Association of National Public Health Institute's annual meeting on February 7 and February 8 in Kigali, Rwanda (archived links here, here and here).

His photos from the event were also reposted from the official account for the WHO in Rwanda.

Ihekweazu also posted a photo of him posing next to Emmanuel Agogo, pandemic threats director of global health non-profit organisation Find on February 23 (archived link).