Fact-Check Debunks False Claim of Finnish Sanctions on Yunus

The widely circulated claim that the Finnish government has imposed sanctions on Professor Dr. Muhammad Yunus, head of Bangladesh's interim government, is entirely false, according to Rumor Scanner, one of the country’s leading fact-checking organizations.

Recently, a Facebook account under the name “Tamanna Akhter Yesman” posted an image alleging that Finland sanctioned Dr. Yunus due to his supposed disrespect towards Bangladesh’s freedom fighters.

The post further claimed that the sanctions were based on Article 347 of the Constitution of Bangladesh and stated the Finnish president’s name as Barthel Farber.

This misleading post was later shared across various Facebook pages and personal accounts, amplifying the disinformation. However, a report published by Rumor Scanner on Saturday, June 21, categorically labeled the claims as fabricated.

According to Rumor Scanner’s investigation, “the claims are baseless.” First, the Constitution of Bangladesh contains no Article 347. Second, the current President of Finland is Alexander Stubb—not Barthel Farber, as falsely asserted in the post.

Furthermore, the image used to support the claim was identified as a photo from an entirely unrelated event. Reverse image searches revealed that the picture actually shows Ukrainian Deputy Foreign Minister Dmytro Senik in a meeting with the UAE’s Minister of State for International Cooperation, Reem Al Hashimy.

This image was originally posted on April 6, 2022, on the official X (formerly Twitter) account of the UAE Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

Rumor Scanner's findings further emphasize the importance of verifying information before sharing, particularly during politically sensitive periods.