Prior to the announcement of the verdict by the Kosovo Specialist Chambers, hibrid.info had warned that it would monitor and verify suspicious claims, narratives and content related to the “Thaci and Others” case. The monitoring has continued even after the announcement of the verdict and will continue in the coming months.
During the period 15–30 September 2026, the information space in Kosovo and the region faced an intensified wave of disinformation content, digital manipulations and constructed narratives surrounding the announcement of the verdict of the Kosovo Specialist Chambers in The Hague for the former leaders of the Kosovo Liberation Army (KLA).
Systematic analysis of verified cases demonstrates a clear tendency to exploit public sensitivity through the production of fake news, content generated or manipulated with artificial intelligence, as well as through the distortion of statements and the context of events.
This summary structures the 20 verified cases categorized into fake news, hoaxes, disinformation, fact manipulation, clickbait, as well as analysis of regional narratives.
Fake news
False claims about Donald Trump and Kosovo: Content was published on TikTok claiming that US President Donald Trump had demanded the release of former KLA leaders by December and had warned of a review of relations with institutions, which was proven to be completely false and contrary to official statements by the State Department. Similarly, another claim about the lifting of visas and positions on Albin Kurti was deemed fake news that confused presidential powers (see here).
Fabricated statements by DioGuardi, Walker and Beakes: Content was published on TikTok claiming that Joseph DioGuardi, William Walker, and journalist Nick Beake had made specific statements about the protests in Pristina, while after investigation it was determined that they were completely fabricated (see here).
Denis MacShane's fabricated statement about Judge Charles Smith: A statement by a former British minister to the Croatian media outlet Index.hr was fabricated, alleging that US authorities were monitoring Judge Charles Smith for receiving 3 million euros from Serbia through Satabank. Verification showed that the 3 million euro figure referred to an old fine against the bank in Malta for money laundering, and not to bribery of the judge (see here).
The claim for the dismissal of all charges in The Hague: A video was posted on Facebook claiming that the Hague Tribunal had dropped all charges against the KLA leaders and that they would be released soon. This was a blatant lie, as the Trial Chamber found them guilty of war crimes and sentenced them to imprisonment in the first instance (see here).
Made-up quote by John Stewart Duncan: A fabricated quote was shared on social media where the former NATO advisor allegedly stated that Albanians would have liberated Kosovo without NATO help if they had had enough motivation to fight Thaçi (see here).
Stjepan Mesić's fabricated statement: An image was used accompanied by a fabricated statement in which the former Croatian president allegedly declared that the entire KLA was being tried in The Hague and that “Thaci was its engine”, a claim that had no support in official sources or the media (see here).
Fraud (Manipulated and AI-generated content)
Manipulated image of Hysni Gucat: An AI-edited photo was shared where the leader of the OVL-UCK was allegedly carrying a gun hidden behind his back during a protest, while authentic footage proved otherwise (see here).
Audio-deepfake of Vojislav Seselj: A real video of Seselj was combined with new AI-generated audio, which attributed to him the claim that the indictment against Thaçi was written in Belgrade (see here).
Deepfake audio of the witness in the Special Court: Footage was taken from the testimony of Ismet Tara (Commander Hoxha) in The Hague and overlaid with AI-generated audio in Serbian to simulate false accusations against the KLA (see here).
The manipulated photo of the protest: An image from a protest held in December 2022 was published on social media, where the original inscription on the banner with the portrait of Hashim Thaçi (“Not in my name”) had been digitally altered to “Whoever is against the court is against Kosovo”. Verification of the authentic footage proved that it was a visual manipulation (see here)
disinformation
Thaçi's lawyer's old statement is presented as breaking news: A sensationally titled piece of content was published on Facebook claiming that Hashim Thaçi had been declared innocent by The Hague. Verification showed that it was an old statement by lawyer Luka Misetic from February 2026, which referred to the presumption of innocence during the defense's closing argument (see here).
False claim about the release of two former KLA leaders: Content was published on TikTok claiming that only two of the former KLA leaders would be released on September 16, also warning of “civil war.” Verification showed that the Specialist Chambers had only set the date for the announcement of the verdict and that the outcome of the process was completely unknown, while the warnings of the security institutions were standard measures for managing gatherings (see here).
The false claim that Kurti has accepted Thaçi becoming president: A claim was published on a Serbian-language Telegram channel that Prime Minister Albin Kurti had agreed to allow Hashim Thaçi to become president of Kosovo if he is released by The Hague. Verification showed that this was a distortion of an opinion given earlier (on September 12, 2026) by political analyst Xhavit Drenori during a television show, and that Kurti had never made such a statement (see here).
Russian and Serbian media falsely portray the protest in Tirana as a "riot" because of The Hague: The Russian media outlet Sputnik in Serbian reported that the September 17 clashes between protesters and police in Tirana occurred over the verdict against former KLA leaders. Verification showed that it was an anti-government protest (part of a series of protests over several months demanding the resignation of Prime Minister Edi Rama), manipulating the context of the event (see here).
Manipulation of Facts
The murder of Xhemail Mustafa is falsely linked to the Hague verdict: A post was published on Facebook with a photo of Xhemail Mustafa, implying that Rexhep Selimi's 13-year sentence in The Hague was linked to his murder. Verification showed that this 2000 event was not included in the Specialist Chambers' verdict, manipulating the facts to misinform the audience (see here).
The confusion of Maria Bamieh's statements: One piece of content attributed to former EULEX prosecutor Maria Bamieh the statement that “Albanians are animals that need to be tamed.” Verification showed that this statement belonged to an old 2019 scandal by former judge Malcolm Simmons in another case (“Drenica”), being misused for the case of judge Charles Smith (see here).
Clickbait
Ganimete Musliu's old statement is presented as a reaction to the decision in The Hague: Several Facebook pages republished on September 16 a statement by MP Ganimete Musliu given on September 9 regarding the constitutive session of the Assembly, falsely presenting it as a warning from PDK following the verdict of the Special Court (see here).
Analyses and narratives
Movement of Serbian military vehicles and the "Pobednik 2026" exercise: In mid-September, there were reports of Serbian military column movements near the Ribaric area, while the Serbian Army was conducting the “Pobednik 2026” composite tactical exercise at the Peshter training ground with over 2,000 soldiers and 500 pieces of military equipment. The analysis of the facts confirmed that the movement of equipment was part of regular preparations for this exercise and Artillery Day, while the security institutions (Kosovo Police, US Embassy and NATO) did not report any direct military threat or aggressive movements towards the Kosovo border (see here).
Framing of the verdict in the Serbian media: After the announcement of the verdict in The Hague, Serbian media offered different approaches, with tabloids (Informer, Alo!, Kurir, Srpski Telegraf) calling the verdict “shameful” or “farce” emphasizing the lenient sentences and the exclusion of charges of ethnic cleansing of Serbs, while media outlets such as Politika and Danas took a more informative approach focusing on the legal content (see here). Meanwhile, Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić called the verdict “incomplete justice” due to the dismissal of charges of crimes against humanity.
Maria Zakharova's narrative and the Russian discourse towards Kosovo: Following the verdict in The Hague, Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova described Kosovo as a “quasi-state” built on a “bloody legacy,” linking the court decision to efforts to contest Kosovo’s statehood and the role of the KLA (see here). The analysis of the facts highlighted that the International Court of Justice (ICJ) had confirmed in 2010 that Kosovo's declaration of independence had not violated international law, and that the Specialist Chambers judge the individual criminal responsibility of individuals and not collective responsibility.
CONCLUSIONS
During the period 15–30 September 2026, 20 cases of content related to the Kosovo Specialist Chambers’ judgment in the “Thaci et al.” case were verified. The cases included fake news, disinformation, manipulation of facts, clickbait, and content manipulated or generated with artificial intelligence.
Some of the cases involved fabricated or inaccurately attributed statements to public figures, while other cases used manipulated images, videos, and audio to present inaccurate claims.
Cases were also identified in which old statements or materials were presented as new developments, as well as cases where real events were presented out of context.
Some of the verified content related to reporting and narratives in Kosovo and the region, including the way protests in Tirana were presented, the verdict in Serbian media, and statements by foreign officials regarding Kosovo and the KLA.
Verification of sources, dates, statements, authentic materials, and context remains a key part of the verification process for this content.
Co-funded by the European Union. The views and opinions expressed are those of the author(s) alone and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or the European Fact-Checking Standards Network (EFCSN). Neither the European Union nor the European Fact-Checking Standards Network (EFCSN) can be held responsible for them.