Several Serbian-language media outlets published an article the day before yesterday (January 12) claiming that the arrest of two citizens of the Serbian community in Kllokot, for firing weapons in the air during the celebration of Orthodox Christmas, represents the intention to expel Serbs from their settlements.
The headlines of the articles published in the Serbian media are: “TWO YOUNG SERBS ARRESTED IN KLLOKOT: Kurti's police searched their homes and then took them away” and “KURTI CONTINUES TERROR AGAINST SERBS! Two young men of Serbian nationality have been arrested in Kllokot”.
The article is based on a statement from the Office for Kosovo in the Government of Serbia, which interprets the arrest as an exercise of pressure on Serbs with the aim of expelling them from their homes.
On the other hand, the Kosovo Police announced that two citizens of the Serbian community (out of 3 suspects) have been arrested for illegal possession of weapons, causing general danger and use of a weapon.
Links to articles published in Serbian-language media:
https://informer.rs/vesti/politika/763363/privedena-dvojica-mladica-srpske-nacionalnosti-klokotu
Excerpts from articles published in Serbian-language media:
Two young men of Serbian nationality, Dejan M. (27) and Aleksandar S. (31), have been arrested in Kllokota, Kosovo and Metohija, after several gunshots were fired at the church gate during the Christmas holiday, the Office for Kosovo and Metohija announced.
This puts additional pressure on Serbs and creates fear in the Serbian environment, with the clear intention of making them anxious and expelling them from their homes.
The Office for Kosovo in the Government of Serbia, in a statement published on the case of the arrest of two young men from the Serbian community in Kllokot, due to shooting in the air with guns during the Serbian Orthodox Christmas celebration, claimed that "through this, Serbs have been denied the celebration and that this is being done with the aim of instilling fear, making them anxious and expelling them from their homes". (here)
These claims made by this Serbian institution about Kurti's alleged intentions to intimidate Serbs have no basis in argument.
On the other hand, Kosovo Police has announced that two citizens of the Serbian community in Kllokot (out of 3 suspects) have been arrested on suspicion of illegal possession of weapons, causing general danger and use of a weapon.
"The Gjilan Regional Police Directorate, the Gjilan Regional Investigation Unit, after receiving information through operational channels, security and analysis of video recordings, has identified three Kosovo Serb suspects, of whom it has arrested two of them, AS (1992) and DM (1996), as they are suspected of having fired a gun on 07.01.2023 in Kllokot around midnight on the occasion of the celebration of the "Orthodox Christmas" holiday in Kllokot, causing general danger. The third suspect, also a Kosovo Serb, has not been found and is being sought by the police." (here)
According to the Police, the two aforementioned suspects, after being escorted to the offices of the Gjilan Regional Investigation Unit, were interviewed based on legal procedures.
"The State Prosecutor has been notified regarding the case, who has issued a 48-hour detention order against the two suspects and criminal charges will be filed against them for the criminal offenses of ''Causing general danger'', ''Unauthorized possession, control or possession of weapons'' and ''Use of weapons'' and the case will be processed at the Basic Prosecution Office." (here)
Based on this, two young men from the Serbian community were arrested for violating the order and not for any purpose of intimidation with the idea of expelling them from their settlements as alleged.
Analyze:
Several Serbian-language media outlets have published an article claiming that the arrest of two citizens of the Serbian community in Kllokot, Gjilan, for firing weapons in the air during the celebration of Orthodox Christmas, represents the intention to expel Serbs from their settlements.
The article is based on a statement from the Office for Kosovo in the Government of Serbia, which interprets the arrest case as an exercise of pressure on Serbs with the aim of expelling them from their homes.
On the other hand, the Kosovo Police announced that two citizens of the Serbian community (out of 3 suspects) have been arrested for illegal possession of weapons, causing general danger and use of a weapon.
Based on its work methodology, hibrid.info assesses this article as "manipulation of facts".
Rating:
The evaluation as "Manipulation of facts" is given to those media reports that use facts known to be correct, but interpret them in a distorted way. These reports typically use inaccurate information to draw inaccurate conclusions or claims, thereby misdirecting consumers' conclusions of media content in relation to the actual meaning of the facts presented.