Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Maria Zakharova’s answer to a media question about reports on closing the research of the alleged sonic attacks against US diplomats in Cuba

Question: What can you say about US media reports saying that National Institutes of Health at the US Department of Health and Human Services is closing its research of the so-called sonic attacks against Western diplomats in Cuba, which it has been conducting since 2016?

Maria Zakharova: When the staff of American and allied embassies, primarily the Canadian one, started reporting similar symptoms, as if on cue, which they claimed was the result of direct exposure to radiofrequency fields, the blame was immediately assigned to Cuba and several other countries, including Russia.

A new round of anti-Cuba campaign was launched. Cuba was later designated a state sponsor of terrorism, although under another far-fetched pretext. It was proved to be ungrounded, but Cuba has not been removed from the notorious US list.

They have been trying to find scientific and medical proof of the “sonic attacks” for eight years, but to no avail. Moreover, the Americans who worked in Havana publicly mentioned coercion by US security services, direct and veiled threats if they refused to “cooperate,” and “stretch” their testimony to suit their goals.

In short, the plan to blame Cuba, as well as Russia, of inhumane influence on the health of American foreign policy staff has turned out to be impossible to implement.

But some of our questions remain unanswered. First, if the Americans and their Canadian satellites failed to sell their lies because their story has not been confirmed by medics, why can’t they say that they were wrong? An honest self-assessment, even when this is painful, has never been perceived as a sign of weakness.

Second, the media have written volumes about the “Havana syndrome.” Why has the admission of being wrong not created a media sensation, or even a newsbreak for the self-respecting free press? Is it because a refutation was not ordered? Or because objectivity has fallen out of favour? Or life is easier when the US authorities try to remove alternative but highly professional media outlets, like RT or Sputnik, from the stage? Without them, it is much easier to shape a distorted reality where only appropriate news is welcome and anything else that does not fit the artificial information picture is blotted out, isn’t it?

We reaffirm our position of principle that we categorically reject any manifestations of sanctions pressure on sovereign states, including under far-fetched pretexts and in violation of the UN Charter and the universally recognised standards and principles of international law. We strongly reject unilateral restrictions. All and any elements of pressure on the government they do not approve of are illegal.

It should be said in conclusion that we wish good heath to American, Canadian and other Western diplomats wherever they work. We can hold different political views, but health is no joke. If they felt ill for the past eight years, we hope that they took their problems to professional doctors who have helped them, without any political encumbrances.