Wrote: Endrit Berisha
It has been reported that "Albanians" and "Kurti's Phalanges" set fire to three Serb houses in the village of Novak, Prizren, on Sunday evening.
The claim was made by Serbian-language media outlets "alo.rs" and "sd.rs" on Sunday (August 11) and Monday (August 12).
What's wrong with these publications?
“The terror of Kurti’s phalanx continues! Three houses of Serb returnees have been burned to the ground” is the title of the publication of the “sd.rs” portal on Sunday. “Horror in Prizren! Albanians set fire to the houses of Serb returnees!” is the title used by “alo.rs”. Neither title is based on facts and does not even have any connection to the text. The meaning of the word "phalanges" (page 212).
Links to the articles in question:
The articles cite Spasa Andrejevic, who is presented as one of the returnees. Andrejevic himself is quoted as having stated that the cause of the fire that engulfed the houses is unknown.
What did the Kosovo Police say?
Kosovo Police in a public announcement on its website Facebook on Monday (July 12) said there are no suspects at this time and that an expert report is being awaited to explain how and where the fire started. The statement said police patrols were informed at the scene that it was a field fire that spread quickly and that nearby houses were also burned. According to the police, the houses were uninhabited.
Full Kosovo Police announcement (without intervention):
Fire in the village of Novak, Prizren
Prizren, August 12, 2024
On 11.08.2024, around 19:25 p.m., a fire was reported in the village of Novak, KK Prizren.
Police patrols from the Prizren North Police Station immediately went to the scene, where they were informed that after the bushes (peregji) near the houses caught fire, the field fire was not extinguished and the three houses located nearby were also burned.
All three houses were uninhabited and are owned by Serb/Kosovar citizens. In general, that neighborhood is uninhabited, but there are some Serb and Albanian residents in the village.
A local company based nearby was initially involved in extinguishing the fire with its tankers, followed by firefighters. The fire was eventually extinguished.
At first glance, it appears that the fire started in the bushes a little further away from the houses, but considering that the neighborhood in general and even the yards of the houses are uninhabited, there was a lot of vegetation and bushes that were dry due to the weather, so the fire spread quickly.
However, the state prosecutor has been notified of the case, and investigators from the station and the Regional Investigations Sector, as well as superiors from the station and the Regional Police Directorate, have also arrived at the scene.
At the moment there are no suspects, we are waiting for the report from fire experts to explain how and where the fire started.
The case will be investigated by the Regional Investigation Sector of the Prizren DRP.
Analyze:
The Serbian language media outlets “sd.rs” and “alo.rs” have falsely linked “Albanians” and “Kurti’s phalanx” to the burning of three Serb houses in the village of Novak, Prizren, on Sunday. While the headlines reported that “Albanians” and “Kurti’s phalanx” set the houses on fire, this is not mentioned in the text. The text even quotes a citizen who said that the cause of the fire is unknown.
Kosovo Police have announced that according to initial reports, the fire started in the bushes a little further away from the houses, but that the fire spread quickly. Investigations have begun and there are currently no suspects.
Based on the working methodology, hibrid.info evaluates these titles as "Conspiracy Theories".
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.