During the period 8–13 June, monitoring of media and social platforms highlighted the dominance of conspiracy theories and unfounded claims related to developments in Kosovo, promoted by Serbian media and officials.
During the monitoring period, conspiracy theories were promoted mainly by the Office for Kosovo in the Government of Serbia (OKS) and the Serbian List, through public statements broadcast by Serbian media and online platforms. These narratives focused on topics related to the security of the Serbian community and the actions of Kosovo institutions. In one case, the OKS claimed that the damage to an ambulance in Grackë i Vjetër was a consequence of “anti-Serb rhetoric by the Pristina regime”, without providing evidence to support this connection. In another case, the OKS and the Serbian List claimed that the arrest of two Serbian school principals in Kamenica was politically motivated and related to the elections, although Kosovo authorities announced that the arrests were carried out on suspicion of specific criminal offences and not for political reasons. In both cases, the claims were presented without verifiable evidence, building speculative narratives about developments in Kosovo.
Monitoring of media and social platforms during this period highlighted the spread of content that distorted facts or presented unconfirmed information as truth. A case of fact manipulation was identified on Facebook, where the pages “V7” and “Kosova Channel” published a video from the protests in Tirana claiming that protesters were chanting “We want Albin Kurti”, while verification showed that their call was “The end has come”. A case of unverified content was also identified by the medium “KosovaPost.net”, which claimed that LDK candidates Haxhi Avdyli, Albena Reshitaj and Jeta Statovci had not won a parliamentary mandate, although the vote counting had not yet been completed. These cases show that incorrect or incomplete information continues to circulate in the online space, creating wrong perceptions about political and social developments.
During this period, cases of the spread of disinformation and fake news related to political developments in Kosovo and international reactions were identified. A disinformation piece published by the Russian-language media “politnavigator.net” claimed that the EU Commissioner for Enlargement, Marta Kos, had congratulated Albin Kurti on his victory in the June 7 elections before the vote count was completed, a claim that was proven false, as the congratulation was made on June 8, after the publication of preliminary results by the CEC. Similarly, a fake news item shared on Facebook attributed to Dejona Mihali a false statement to “ORA News” regarding American gas and possible protests against the US, a claim that was not found in any credible source and was also denied by the Vetëvendosje Movement. These cases demonstrate the circulation of fabricated and inaccurate information in the online space, with the potential to influence public perception.
Manipulation of facts
A video posted on Facebook by the pages “V7” and “Kosova Channel” was shared claiming that protesters in Tirana were chanting “We want Albin Kurti”. The video shows citizens protesting against the construction of a tourist resort in the Zvërnec area. After fact-checking by hibrid.info, it was confirmed that the protesters were not chanting “We want Albin Kurti”, but “The end has come for you”. (here)
Unverified content
A content is published with the caption claiming that Haxhi Avdyli, Albena Reshitaj and Jeta Statovci, who were candidates for deputies of the Assembly of Kosovo from the list of the Democratic League of Kosovo (LDK), did not receive the mandate from the votes of the parliamentary elections of June 7. The content with this claim was published on Wednesday (June 10) on the Facebook page of the medium “KosovaPost.net”. The counting of the votes of the candidates for deputies has not yet been completed. However, this content, based on only a certain percentage of the unfinished results, presented it as a fait accompli. (here)
disinformation
The Russian-language media outlet “politnavigator.net” published an article on Tuesday (June 9) claiming that the European Union Commissioner for Enlargement, Marta Kos, congratulated the leader of the Vetëvendosje Movement, Albin Kurti, on his victory in the June 7 elections, before the vote counting began. After fact-checking by hibrid.info, it was confirmed that this claim is false. The preliminary election results were published by the CEC on June 7 and showed the Vetëvendosje Movement in the lead, while Marta Kos’s congratulatory message was published a day later, on June 8. (here)
Conspiracy theory
In a public reaction, the Office for Kosovo in the Government of Serbia (OKS) has claimed that a window of an ambulance in the Old Grackë/Grackë of Lipjan was broken. This office has linked the case to “anti-Serb rhetoric from the regime in Pristina”. However, it did not provide any facts or evidence to support this claim. Media reports also speak of unknown perpetrators, while the Kosovo Police has not yet provided information about the motive for the incident. (here)
The Office for Kosovo in the Government of Serbia (OKS) and the Serbian List claimed that the arrest of two Serbian school principals in Kamenica was politically motivated and related to the election results. However, according to the Kosovo Police, they were arrested on suspicion of the criminal offenses of “unauthorized ownership, control or possession of a weapon” and “destruction or concealment of archival material”. Official information does not indicate any connection between the arrest and the election process, therefore the claims of the OKS and the Serbian List are not supported by the facts published so far. (here)
Fake news
A content has been shared on Facebook attributing to Dejona Mihali a statement allegedly made to “ORA News” regarding American gas and possible protests against the United States of America. Hibrid.info has verified that this statement is not found in “ORA News”, in any other media, or on Google. It is not based on credible sources. The Vetëvendosje Movement has also denied this claim through its spokesperson. (here)