Wrote: Fatbardh Dema
Through a Facebook post, it was claimed that columnist Imer Mushkolaj had published on the same social network a photograph of the mayors of Pristina and Peja, accompanied by an article critical of the promises of several mayors who, according to him, have not fulfilled their mandates and are now seeking another mandate.
According to the account post "Kosovo with Albin Kurti" on Facebook, within a group with the same name "Kosovo with Albin Kurti", Mushkolaj's article is accompanied by a photo of the mayor of Peja, Gazmend Muhaxheri, and that of Pristina, Përparim Rama. "GET OUT OF WORK, GET OUT OF DEBATE!" is written inside the photo.
But what's wrong with the claim?
After verifying the facts, it turns out that Mushkolaj did not publish the photograph in question in his post, as claimed in the group "Kosovo with Albin Kurti".
"It's driving me crazy when I hear promises from some mayors about work they haven't done in 4, 8, or even 12 years, while they're begging for another mandate," is Mushkolaj's Facebook post on September 25th.
The publication in the group "Kosovo with Albin Kurti" was made in the evening of that same day. "Irresponsible people do not deserve to be rewarded with a single vote. Enough!" wrote this account in a post within the group with more than 2500 members.
So Mushkolaj, in this post, did not specify which candidate or candidates he was referring to. In the local elections of October 12, there are several candidates who are aiming for a second, third or even fourth term (List of candidates running in these elections).
Based on the posts so far, it can be noted that Mushkolaj has publicly criticized Rama or other candidates on other occasions on Facebook.
The same publication, as the one on Facebook, was also shared on TikTok. The account named “aliberishapeje2025" on TikTok shared the same post with the caption "extremely accurate assessment!". That it is the same content is evident from the posting period. In both it is written that Mushkolaj's publication was made "44 minutes earlier".
This TikTok account has in its biography the text "The political activities of Dr. Ali Berisha on TikTok!"
Berisha is the candidate of the Alliance for the Future of Kosovo for mayor of Peja (see here).
Analyze:
In the group named "Kosovo with Albin Kurti" on Facebook, the account with the same name claimed that columnist Imer Mushkolaj had published a photo of the mayors of Pristina and Peja, accompanied by a criticism of the promises of several mayors who, according to him, have not fulfilled the tasks during their mandates and are now seeking another mandate.
However, after verification, it was found that Mushkolaj, in the article in question, did not specify who he was talking about and did not publish the alleged photograph.
Based on the working methodology, hibrid.info assesses the claim as "Manipulation of facts".
Reasoning:
“Factual manipulation” is a rating given to informational content that uses facts known to be accurate but interprets them in a distorted manner. These reports typically use accurate information to draw incorrect conclusions or claims, thereby misleading consumers of media content about the actual meaning of the facts presented.