Wrote: Festim Rizanaj
In two articles published on June 12 and 14 by the Serbian news portal Kossev, regarding the arrest of Arbnor Spahiu, he is described as a former member of the Kosovo Liberation Army (KLA).
In both published articles, the Serbian portal Kossev refers to Arbnor Spahiu as a former member of the KLA. (here, here)
What did hibrid.info find?
Kossev writes in one of his articles: “Former KLA member and former member of the Kosovo Police Special Unit, Arbnor Spahiu, was arrested on June 7 at the Horgoš border crossing while traveling by bus from Austria to Kosovo.” (Former KLA member and former member of the Kosovo Police Special Unit, Arbnor Spahiu, was arrested on June 7 at the Horgoš border crossing, while traveling by bus from Austria to Kosovo.)
While in the other article Kossev writes: “This series of events comes after the arrest on June 7 in Serbia of former member of the KLA and Kosovo Special Police, Arbnor Spahiu, suspected of aggravated murder in the ‘Banjska’ case.” This series of events comes after the arrest on June 7 in Serbia of former member of the KLA and Kosovo Special Police, Arbnor Spahiu, suspected of aggravated murder in the “Banjska” case.
However, after verifying the facts, it turns out that Arbnor Spahiu was not a member of the KLA. This claim, repeated by the portal, is incorrect and not based on verified data.
During online research regarding Arbnor Spahiu's data and the possibility of his involvement in the Kosovo Liberation Army, a copy of his ID card was found, published on Serbian channels in Telegram and Facebook.
This document states that he was born in 1992, which makes it impossible for him to have joined the KLA due to his minor age at the time. the war in Kosovo, 1998-1999. (which means he must have been 6-7 years old at the time).
The context of Arbnor Spahiu's arrest
Former member of the Kosovo Police Special Unit, Arbnor Spahiu, is one of several police officers or former police officers who have faced detention and criminal prosecution by Serbian authorities.
He was arrested on June 7 at the border crossing between Hungary and Serbia and was remanded in custody for a month on suspicion of involvement in “aggravated murder”. The suspicions relate to the events in Banjska, northern Kosovo, where on September 24, 2023, a group of armed Serbs attacked the Kosovo Police, killing Sergeant Afrim Bunjaku. In the ensuing clashes, three more Serb attackers were killed.
However, according to a confirmation from the Kosovo Police to Radio Free Europe, Arbnor Spahiu was not a member of the Police at the time of the incident – he had voluntarily resigned in 2022. (here)
Analyze:
In two articles published on June 12 and 14, the Serbian portal Kossev refers to Arbnor Spahiu as a former member of the Kosovo Liberation Army (KLA).
However, after verifying the facts, it turns out that he was not a member of the KLA – an unfounded and inaccurate claim that is not supported by any verified data.
Based on hibrid.info's methodology, hibird.info considers this claim to be "misinformation".
Reasoning:
"Disinformation" is defined as information content that contains a "mix" of inaccurate sources or even half-truthful attributes, and that is created and/or distributed with the deliberate intention of causing harm. The motive behind the producers/distributors of disinformation content lies in achieving a political, financial, psychological or social goal.