Several Serbian-language media outlets published an article yesterday (March 12) about the break-in and robbery of a Serb resident's home in Kosovo, claiming to present it as an ethnically motivated act.
The attempt to present the robbery at the home of citizen Dragisha Miriq, in the village of Batushë near Fushë Kosovë, as an interethnic incident was made through a statement from the Office for Kosovo in the Government of Serbia.
The announcement of this institution accuses official Pristina of, as stated, "as a direct consequence of the messages of irresponsible politicians from Pristina, who sow hatred towards everything Serbian and with the policy of impunity" being, as alleged, "stimulating hooligans and inciting new attacks aimed at creating unrest among Serbs."
Although the perpetrators of the crime are unknown, this Serbian institution claims without evidence that this action is making Serbian residents "targets of Albanian hooligans and miscreants."
Links to articles published in several Serbian-language media outlets:
https://informer.rs/vesti/politika/777837/kancelarija-kosovo-metohiju-napad-pljacka-kosovo-polje
Link to the Office for Kosovo statement:
https://www.kim.gov.rs/v5091.php
Excerpts from articles published in several Serbian-language media outlets:
The OFFICE for Kosovo and Metohija assessed that incidents like the one in the village of Batushë near Kosovo Fushë, where Dragisha Miriq's house was broken into and robbed while he was outside his home, only contribute to the fact that Serbs like them, about 300 of whom live in this village, feel unsafe and targeted by Albanian hooligans and miscreants.
Parts of the Office for Kosovo's response:
In the village of Batuse in Kosovo Fushë, Dragisha Miriq's house was broken into and robbed last night while he was outside his house. Around 300 Serbs live in this Serbian village today and such incidents only make them feel insecure and a target for Albanian hooligans and miscreants.
The ongoing attacks on Serbs are a direct consequence of the messages of irresponsible politicians from Pristina, who sow hatred towards everything Serbian, and with the policy of impunity, give vent to hooligans and incite new attacks aimed at creating unrest among Serbs.
Regarding the case that occurred in the village of Batushë in Fushë Kosovës, the Office for Kosovo does not provide concrete facts about the event and the alleged motivation for this act, although it calls it an act incited by "messages from Pristina politicians that sow hatred against the Serbian community."
Furthermore, the office's interpretation that this action is causing Serbian residents to be "targeted by Albanian hooligans and miscreants" is a tendentious claim and unfounded in concrete facts.
Despite the fact that in the incidents that occur in these regions, facts have never been presented that prove that they, like this action in Batushë in Fushë Kosovë, are motivated by the discourse of Pristina politicians that sow hatred towards the Serbian community, the Office continues to claim time and again that these incidents are the cause of this discourse. (see the examples covered by hibrid.info) here, here and here)
Analyze:
The Office for Kosovo in the Government of Serbia claims without evidence that the robbery of Dragisa Mišić's house in Batushë, Fushë Kosovës occurred as a result of hate speech against Serbs by politicians in official Pristina.
This institution tends to claim that this action is causing Serbian residents to be targets of Albanian hooligans and miscreants.
Based on its work methodology, hibrid.info considers these claims to be "conspiracy theories".
ASSESSMENT:
"Conspiracy theories" are media reports that disseminate a false or unverifiable description of a phenomenon, event, or person, presenting it as part of or the result of a secret plan ("conspiracy"). A characteristic of these reports is that they present a series of claims, presented as facts, between which cause-effect relationships are established, without providing any credible evidence.