Was the shooting at Prague University on December 21, 2023, orchestrated by the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA)? No, that is not true: There is no evidence that the CIA was involved. The claim appeared in a video (archived here) on TikTok, published by @gergespeed on December 23, 2023. The caption, translated from Czech into English by Lead Stories staff, reads:…

Is the ecological impact of combustion-engine cars less than that of electric vehicles (EVs)? No, that's not true: Despite the environmental impact of battery production for EVs, studies indicate that electric vehicles are more ecologically friendly throughout their lifespan when compared to combustion-engine cars, even in cases where the electricity used to charge EV batteries is sourced from coal power…

Did the European Union "bypass" the Czech Republic when distributing funds on December 15, 2023? No, that's not true: No direct allocation of funds among EU states was discussed or approved on that date. Instead, EU leaders focused on providing funds to address migration challenges and help countries affected by conflict, such as Ukraine. The claim appeared in a TikTok…

Was the school shooting in Prague on December 21, 2023, a false flag operation to disarm legal gun owners? No, that's not true: There is no evidence to support such a claim, and a new, stricter gun law had already been submitted to the Czech parliament and was awaiting a vote before the shooting took place. The claim appeared in…

Is influenza or flu a natural detoxification process of the body to get rid of excess toxins in the cells, and are viruses just remnants of dying cells? No, this is not true: The flu is an infectious disease caused by the influenza virus.The story appeared in a video (archived here) which was published on TikTok on November 5, 2023.…

Is most of Ukraine safe enough, with discos and full shops, for refugees to return to? No, that's not true: Russian missiles and drones are regularly fired at civilian targets in the capital Kyiv and across the country, resulting in civilian casualties in locations far removed from frontline fighting. The wartime economic condition means refugees may not find Ukraine a…

Were the last two Czech presidents -- Petr Pavel and Milos Zeman -- put in office by unelected oligarchs? No, that's not true: Both were elected to office in a direct vote by Czech citizens. The claim appears based on the misreading of a social media post by a former official who never even mentioned the two presidents. The claim…

Was former Czech President Václav Havel part of the communist secret service StB? No, that's not true: Havel never willingly cooperated with the StB. The secret service proved him to be an enemy of the communist regime. As a leader of the dissident movement, he was imprisoned on several occasions. The claim appeared in a video (archived here) on TikTok…

Did Marketa Pekarova Adamova, the Czech President of the Chamber of Deputies, suggest people stop bathing to save on energy costs? No, that's not true: The video's original audio has been manipulated. The claim appeared in a video (archived here) on TikTok, where it was published by @bohemianbulletin on December 16, 2023, under the Czech title, translated into English by…

Is Czech Prime Minister Petr Fiala related to the Czech entrepreneur Tomas Fiala, who does business in Ukraine? No, that's not true: The government office denied that the two are related and said that Petr Fiala is not even acquainted with the businessman. Fiala is a relatively common Czech surname. The claim appeared in a video (archived here) on TikTok…

Does the Czech Republic cover travel expenses for Ukrainian refugees visiting relatives in their home country? No, that's not true: The Czech government has approved a bill that extends the temporary protection status for Ukrainian refugees, and also introduces help in purchasing tickets and covering some other travel expenses for refugees who decide to return to Ukraine permanently, despite the…

Did the Czech State Pension Insurance System end with a surplus, meaning it collected more money from workers in pension insurance premiums than it paid out in pensions to retirees? No, that's not true: in 2022, the state pension system revenues were lower than its expenditures, according to official data. The claim appeared in a video (archived here) which was…

Is the Czech government reneging on its promise to wean the country off its dependence on Russian gas because some traders have started buying gas that is likely of Russian origin in late 2023? No, that's not true: the Czech Republic has shifted nearly all natural gas purchases to producers in Norway and the Netherlands using pipelines in Germany to…

Was Russian President Vladimir Putin nominated for Time's 2023 Person of the Year Award based on his leadership skills and positive contributions? No, that's not true: According to Time magazine's website, the award is an annual recognition of the individual, group or concept that has exerted the most significant influence on the world in the preceding 12 months, irrespective of…

Is there any evidence linking the recent deaths of Slovak singer Barbara Hascakova and Czech athlete Martin Jindra to COVID-19 vaccines? No, that's not true: There is no publicly available evidence to support a claim that their deaths were caused by COVID vaccines. The claim appeared in a video (archived here) on TikTok on December 8, 2023. The person in…

Did Czech Defense Minister Jana Cernochova leave the country vulnerable by dispatching all Czech weapons to Ukraine? No, that's not true: Cernochova stated, both on a Czech state television program and in parliamentary discussions, that the country had depleted only the military resources earmarked for Ukraine. Furthermore, the Czech Republic is set to receive military equipment and financial support from…

Does footage of former Hamas hostage Mia Schem, who said she was treated well, contradicts mainstream media reports that Hamas treats Israeli hostages poorly? No, that's not true: There are numerous accounts from relatives of released hostages, or the hostages themselves, describing the horrible conditions in which they were kept and the devastating effect this had on them physically and…

Does Czech Republic President Petr Pavel want to give up the nation's veto right and sovereignty in favor of bigger countries like Germany or France? No, that's not true: He said in a speech in Brussels that the European Union needs to improve its decision making to be able to speed up the procedure. The claim appeared in a video…

Is Ukraine the most corrupt country in the world? No, that's not true: Ukraine ranks among the top third most corrupt nations in the world in terms of perceptions of public sector corruption, and yet it ranks above 54 countries in one leading corruption index and above 61 countries in a second index. The story appeared in a video (archived…

Do Czech liberal political parties that are currently part of the government coalition claim that there are "100 sexes?" No, that's not true: TOP09 and STAN parties support gender equality, while the Czech Pirate Party, the most progressive junior member of the government coalition, supports LGBT+ rights, including same-sex marriages, and free determination of gender, but the parties have never…