"SCANDAL IN THE MIDDLE OF SERBIA: KLA terrorists have opened an office in Presevo, while citizens demand a reaction from the state!" is the title of the article published in the Serbian language media. "vaseljenska.net"".
This article quotes the Serbian-language Telegram channel "Koridor", which reports on this office, claiming that "various things can happen in such a structure, from raising funds to purchase weapons, to recruiting new members of the UÇPMB, as well as other activities."
What's wrong with this article?
Hibrid.info has verified the claims of this article, starting with the one about the opening of the KLA office in Presheva.
According to the findings, it turns out that the office in question does not belong to the KLA (Kosovo Liberation Army), but to the Organization of War Veterans of the UÇPMB (Liberation Army for Presevo, Medvedja and Bujanovac). Moreover, the claim that the same office has been opened now does not hold up as it has existed since at least 2019, based on a photo published on Facebook by the OVL-UÇPMB account in Presevo (see here).
Also, the article published by the Serbian-language media outlet "vaseljenska.net" makes claims without any evidence that meetings and gatherings of "individuals connected to Albanian extremist structures" are regularly held at this facility.
The article continues with unfounded claims that activities such as "raising funds for weapons" or "recruiting new members of the UÇPMB" may be carried out in this office.
It is also alleged that their goal is "to secede from another part of the territory of Serbia because the OVLUÇK has not disbanded, but is only waiting for a suitable moment for its actions."
Related to this office, content has also been published in Serbian by other channels on "Telegram" such as "БУНТ је стајъе духа","BUNKER”And“Serbian Anger".
In the content of the channel "CORRIDOR", in addition to the allegations, the Serbian state leadership is called upon to "destroy this office as soon as possible."
The same content also states: "While our people are rotting in prisons as fictitious terrorists, real terrorists are moving freely throughout Serbia and have their own offices."
The narrative in question seems to be related to the arrest of several persons of Serbian nationality in Kosovo a few days ago. This is because the content published in "Koridor" raises the question of whether "how is it possible that, while trumped-up procedures are being conducted against Serbian individuals in Kosovo and Metohija on terrorism charges, organizations using symbols associated with the KLA operate unhindered in central Serbia?"
In connection with the arrest of five war crimes suspects, the Special Prosecution of the Republic of Kosovo announced that the same were members of special units of the Serbian police in 1999, and who are suspected of having been involved in the commission of the Recak massacre on January 15, 1999 (see here).
Analyze
A Serbian-language article claims that a KLA-affiliated office has been opened in Presevo and that it could serve various activities, including “raising funds for weapons” or “recruiting new members of the UÇPMB.”
However, verifications by Hibrid.info show that this office has existed since at least 2019 and has not been opened recently, as the title of this article suggests.
Also, the article and content distributed on Telegram make unfounded claims and assumptions about the activities within this facility, as well as calls for a reaction from the authorities to close it. These narratives also appear to be related to recent developments in Kosovo, including the arrests of persons of Serbian nationality, suspected of war crimes in Kosovo.
Therefore, based on the working methodology, hibrid.info assesses this content as "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.