Wrote: Fatbardh Dema
On the Telegram platform, Serbian-language accounts have published a claim that ""A masked Albanian last night at around 18:00 PM removed and took the tricolor (Serbian flag) of the Serbian Orthodox Church from the gate of the church in Lipjan."
This claim was found published by the Serbian-language Telegram account "BUNKER"(BUNKER).
The truth?
After verification of the facts conducted by hibrid.info, it was determined that the claim is unfounded, and that it is unknown to which ethnicity the person suspected of committing this crime belongs.
Following research conducted online, the content initially published by the “BUNKER” account (Friday, 09:55) was subsequently published on the Russian propaganda network “Pravda" in Serbian, as well as on the other Serbian account on Telegram "Српска Спарта-Info” (Srpska Sparta-Info).
What is known about this event?
Hibrid.info has researched the Serbian language media regarding this event, where articles published in "N1info.rs"and "Rts.rs".
Contrary to the claims published by the aforementioned accounts, Serbian-language media have not reported that the person suspected of committing this crime is Albanian.
Articles published by Serbian media state that the case has been reported to the police.
In the 24-hour report of the Kosovo Police (December 5), the case in question is not reported. (see photo below)
Analyze
The claim that a masked Albanian removed the Serbian flag from the Orthodox Church in Lipjan is unfounded.
Content claiming that the suspect is Albanian was published by Serbian accounts on Telegram and the Russian propaganda network "Pravda".
Serbian-language media reported on the incident, but did not mention the ethnicity of the suspect. Also, the Kosovo Police's 24-hour report does not mention this case.
Based on the working methodology, hibrid.info evaluates this claim as a "Conspiracy Theory".
rationale
"Conspiracy theories" are considered to be informational content that contains a false or unverifiable description of a phenomenon, event or person, presenting it as part or the result of a secret plan ("conspiracy"). The characteristic of these contents is that they present a series of claims, presented as facts, between which cause-effect relationships are established, without providing any reliable evidence.