The family of retired Canadian General John de Chastelain has issued a statement confirming he is alive and in good health, following erroneous online reports claiming the 88-year-old had died. The false information circulated widely on social media platforms earlier this week.
General de Chastelain is best known for his pivotal role as the head of the Independent International Commission on Decommissioning (IICD), which oversaw the disarmament of paramilitary groups, including the Irish Republican Army (IRA), as part of the Northern Ireland peace process in the late 1990s and 2000s.
His family emphasized that the former Chief of the Defence Staff for the Canadian Armed Forces is "in good health and spirits" and continues to live in Ottawa. They have asked for privacy and for the public to disregard the inaccurate reports.
No official source or credible news outlet corroborated the death rumors, which appear to have originated from unverified social media accounts. The incident highlights the ongoing challenge of misinformation spreading online.
