Misleading video falsely linked to President Raisi's accident - Fact Crescendo Sri Lanka

On May 19, Iranian media reported a fatal helicopter crash in northwestern Azerbaijan that allegedly killed Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi. A video circulated after the incident purported to be footage of the helicopter carrying Raisi.

Social media claims

A video is circulating on social media that purports to show an accident involving President Raisi. The footage shows a helicopter crashing and exploding upon impact with the ground.

Source | Archive

We noticed that this video is also shared on YouTube and Instagram platforms, so we decided to conduct a fact check on this video.

Fact check

Using the reverse image search feature with keyframes from the video, we found that the same video was posted almost two years ago. Contrary to initial belief, the footage was not shot in Azerbaijan, where President Raisi had the accident. Instead, it shows a crash of a border patrol MI-8 helicopter in the northern mountains of Georgia, filmed in July 2022.

In #Georgiaa helicopter of the border police MIA Mi-8 lost control and crashed in #Gudauriin the north of the country.

There were 8 people on board (2 pilots, 2 doctors and 4 rescue workers). There are no reports of survivors. July 30 (today) is declared a day of mourning by the Prime Minister. #Tbilisi. pic.twitter.com/FHJ91DNArx

— Mercury Strategic Services (@MercuryStrat) July 30, 2022

archive

In the video above, a border police helicopter crashed in Gudauri, Georgia. According to the Georgian Interior Ministry, there were eight people on board. The helicopter, which was on a rescue mission for stranded paragliders, lost control and crashed in a ravine. On board were four crew members, two Interior Ministry rescue workers and two paramedics. Read the news about this accident here.

Latest updates on President Raisi’s helicopter accident

On May 23, 2024, a preliminary report from the Iranian Armed Forces revealed details of the helicopter crash that killed President Raisi and Foreign Minister Amir-Abdollahian. According to the report, there were no signs of gunfire or similar damage and the helicopter was following its intended route before catching fire and crashing. The report also mentioned that bad weather and difficult terrain delayed search and rescue efforts.

In addition, checking communications from the control tower did not reveal any suspicious activity. The helicopter was returning from the inauguration of a dam on the Iran-Azerbaijan border and there were no survivors of the crash. Turkey assisted the rescue efforts with an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV). Following the crash, Vice President Mokhber and Deputy Foreign Minister Kani were appointed as interim president and foreign minister, respectively. The final results of the investigation are pending. (Source)

Also read: Old video from Turkey mistakenly shared, referring to Iranian president’s helicopter crash

Summary

A video circulating on social media purporting to show the helicopter crash that killed Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi is misleading. The footage is from a border patrol MI-8 helicopter crash in Georgia in 2022. The actual crash involving President Raisi occurred in Azerbaijan and left no survivors. The cause of the crash is still under investigation, but preliminary reports indicate no signs of gunfire or suspicious activity.