Wrote: Festim Rizanaj
"'Greater Albania' in the center of Novi Sad! This is new proof that Rakiq is Kurti's satellite: The December 1st post says it all," is the title of an article in the Serbian-language daily.Informer.rs", published on December 8, 2024.
This article with this title is illustrated with a photograph of a protester, identified by this media as Miloš Rakić, during the protests in Novi Sad, who is seen with his arms crossed.
Through this photograph, the media in question even attempts to link Kosovo's Prime Minister, Albin Kurti, to these protests.
What does the article say?
An unfounded claim has been made public in at least one Serbian media outlet, where a protester identified as Miloš Rakić is alleged to have made the double-headed eagle symbol with his hands at a protest in Novi Sad, Serbia. Through it, the media outlet claims that the idea of a “Greater Albania” is also spreading in Serbia.
The media outlet "Informer" has even called the protester in question a "satellite" of Prime Minister Albin Kurti.
This media outlet based this claim on a post allegedly made by Rakić himself on the social network Instagram on December 1, where he wrote: "Kosovo is not Serbia, since the great displacements, and now COME TO PROTEST!!!"
What is the truth?
The claim that the protester in question made the double-headed eagle symbol is not accurate, as the person in question has his hands crossed further apart than the shape in which the hands are crossed to create the Albanian eagle symbol.
Likewise, the connection between the protester identified as Miloš Rakić and Prime Minister Albin Kurti is unfounded. The two, at least according to public records on the internet, do not appear to have ever met or had any interaction whatsoever.
What is known about the protests in Novi Sad?
Protests in Novi Sad have intensified after a tragic event November 1, 2024, when the roof of the city's train station collapsed, killing 15 people and injuring several others. The collapse occurred suddenly, with many of the victims sitting or walking under the concrete roof. In response, protests have erupted across Serbia, demanding accountability and justice for the victims. Protesters have highlighted alleged corruption and poor construction practices as the causes of the tragedy, highlighting the involvement of Chinese construction companies in the recent renovations. There have also been calls for the resignation of government officials, including Prime Minister Aleksandar Vučić and Construction Minister Goran Vesić, over allegations that they mismanaged the renovation process.
Analyze:
An unfounded claim has been published by at least one Serbian media outlet, where a photograph of a person identified as Miloš Rakić has been attempted to be linked to "Greater Albania".
The claim came from a photo taken at a protest in Novi Sad, Serbia, showing a citizen with his hands crossed, which somewhat resembles the double-headed eagle symbol, but the hands are positioned further apart. The Serbian-language media outlet used the photo to link the person to the Kosovo prime minister, labeling him a “satellite” of Kurti.
Also published in the article is a post that is said to be from the person Miloš Rakić, made on Instagram, which, among other things, states "Kosovo is not Serbia."
The claim is unfounded as a whole, as it is not based on facts and there is no evidence linking the photo and message to Prime Minister Kurti.
Based on the working methodology, hibrid.info evaluates this claim as a "conspiracy theory".
Reasoning:
"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.