{"id":6164,"date":"2020-10-15T13:01:48","date_gmt":"2020-10-15T12:01:48","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/thedailyleaks.com\/?p=6164"},"modified":"2021-01-15T13:22:48","modified_gmt":"2021-01-15T12:22:48","slug":"fact-check-false-headline-claim-harvard-professor-arrested-for-creating-and-selling-the-new-coronavirus-to-china","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/thedailyleaks.com\/fact-check-false-headline-claim-harvard-professor-arrested-for-creating-and-selling-the-new-coronavirus-to-china\/","title":{"rendered":"[FACT-CHECK] False headline claim: Harvard Professor arrested for creating and selling the new coronavirus to China"},"content":{"rendered":"

A viral claim on social media alleges the U.S. government has \u201cjust discovered and arrested\u201d Dr. Charles Lieber from Harvard University, for \u201cmanufacturing and selling\u201d the new coronavirus to China. Different iterations of the claim have been shared in multiple languages over 79,000 times on Facebook as of April 7,2020, according to Crowdtangle. ( here<\/a>\u00a0,\u00a0here<\/a>\u00a0,\u00a0here<\/a>\u00a0).<\/p>\n

Some posts include a genuine news report from an ABC station, along with false video descriptions. One post claims: \u201cUSA just discovered the man who manufactured and sold the Coronavirus bio-weapon to China; Dr Charles Lieber, Head of Chemistry and Biology department at Harvard University, USA. He was just arrested today, according to American department sources. #StaySafe\u201d<\/p>\n

While the Department of Justice did arrest Dr. Charles Lieber, chair of the Chemistry and Chemical Biology Department at Harvard University, this was not for creating the new coronavirus nor for selling it to China. Lieber and two non-Harvard Chinese researchers were charged with lying about their alleged links to the Chinese government. Reuters<\/a> reported on his arrest here<\/a>\u00a0.<\/p>\n

The charges were part of an aggressive effort by U.S. authorities to block what they say are Chinese attempts to steal American scientific and technological advances.<\/p>\n

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On January 28,2020, prosecutors charged Lieber with lying about participating in China\u2019s Thousand Talents Plan, which aims to attract research specialists working overseas.<\/p>\n

A\u00a0press statement by the\u00a0Department of Justice(DoJ) on this case is visible\u00a0\u00a0here<\/a>\u00a0.<\/p>\n

According to the DOJ, \u201cUnbeknownst to Harvard University beginning in 2011, Lieber became a \u201cStrategic Scientist\u201d at Wuhan University of Technology (WUT) in China and was a contractual participant in China\u2019s Thousand Talents Plan from in or about 2012 to 2017.\u201d<\/p>\n

In exchange for various payments (salaries and grants), Lieber provided services for the Thousand Talents Program for WUT. Lieber was accused of lying about his involvement.<\/p>\n

Misleading posts online\u00a0pair\u00a0actual news footage\u00a0about\u00a0Lieber\u2019s arrest with written claims that he was arrested for creating the new coronavirus and selling it to China. The original news reports\u00a0by\u00a0WCVB Channel 5 Boston\u00a0and CBS Boston\u00a0can be seen\u00a0here<\/a>\u00a0and\u00a0here<\/a>\u00a0.<\/p>\n

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