AAP FACTCHECK – Iran’s state media has published computer-generated images of Israeli athletes brutalising Palestinians that it claims were created by Amnesty International.
It claims the images are part of the human rights organisation’s protest against Israel being allowed to compete at the Paris Games.
This is false. Amnesty International says it is not responsible for the images and has not called for Israel to be banned or excluded from the 2024 Olympics.
The Islamic Republic News Agency posted the images English-language account on X, formerly known as Twitter, at 4.13pm AEST on July 27.
The state-run outlet posted the same images on its Arabic-language X account and its Facebook page later that day.
Other social media users have since reposted the images to Facebook, Threads and X.
The pictures – which appear to be generated with artificial intelligence (AI) – show athletes in uniforms bearing the Israeli flag beating and threatening people of Arab appearance.
One image depicts a fencer holding a blade to a child’s neck, and another shows a swimmer holding a young girl underwater.
The posters are captioned with the words “BOYCOTT GENOCIDE” and an Amnesty International logo.
The IRNA post claimed the images were the human rights group’s protest against Israel’s participation in the Paris Olympics.
However, Amnesty International Australia said it did not produce or distribute the images and hadn’t called for Israel to be excluded.
“We do not know who has created these images, which appear to be AI-generated, and only became aware of them after inquiries from the media,” a spokeswoman told AAP FactCheck in an email.
“Amnesty International is campaigning for a permanent ceasefire in Gaza, the return of all hostages, an immediate and comprehensive arms embargo on Israel, Hamas and other Palestinian armed groups, and for an end to Israel’s unlawful occupation of Palestinian territories.
“We are not campaigning for any boycott of the Olympics.”
The images don’t appear on Amnesty International’s Facebook, Instagram or X accounts.
A Google reverse image search also didn’t suggest the images had been posted or shared by Amnesty International.
The Verdict
False – The claim is inaccurate.
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