During the monitoring period September 28–October 3, fabricated articles and content dominated the misinformation space, which were mainly characterized by false claims and fabricated statements.
A significant portion of this content used the names of foreign officials, politicians, and journalists, who were attributed with statements that, according to verification, they did not make. These claims were presented as real statements, creating a false picture of the positions of these figures.
In addition to fabricated statements, content created or manipulated with artificial intelligence was also identified during this period. These cases demonstrate the use of new techniques to create content that may appear credible at first glance.
Fake news
Serbia and 500 million euros for the Appeal: Content has been published claiming that Serbia has allocated 500 million euros for the Appeal process against former KLA leaders. The claim has been deemed false, as no evidence was found that Serbia has allocated such an amount for this purpose.
Statement attributed to General Craddock: A statement attributed to American General Bantz J. Craddock regarding Kosovo and the KLA has been published. However, no reliable sources have been found to prove that Craddock made this statement, so the content has been deemed false.
Michael Goodwin and J.D. Vance: It has been claimed that New York Post journalist Michael Goodwin said that US Vice President JD Vance was interested in the protests in Kosovo and the process in The Hague. However, such a statement has not been found in Goodwin's writings or publications, and no other reliable sources have confirmed this claim.
Statement attributed to Stjepan Mesic: A statement attributed to former Croatian President Stjepan Mesic regarding the KLA and Hashim Thaci has been published on social media. However, no evidence has been found that Mesic made this statement, leading to the content being deemed false.
Oil price in Skopje: An image has been published claiming that a liter of diesel at a gas station in Skopje costs 1.16 euros. Available data on fuel prices does not support this claim, while the image was generated with artificial intelligence.
The "Death" of Sali Berisha: A claim has been published on social media that former Albanian President and Prime Minister Sali Berisha has died. The claim is false and is accompanied by an image generated with artificial intelligence, while there has been no confirmation from reliable sources.
Statement attributed to John Stewart Duncan: A statement attributed to former British diplomat John Stewart Duncan has been published regarding Hashim Thaçi, NATO, and the intervention in Kosovo. However, no reliable sources have been found to prove that Duncan made this statement, so the content has been deemed false.
Clickbait
Presidential Candidate: Content has been published with the title “Prime Minister Kurti reveals the name of the candidate for President”, creating the impression that it is about a new name. However, the article is about Bekim Sejdiu, who withdrew from the candidacy on September 14. Kurti had stated that LVV still considered Sejdiu a candidate based on the agreement with LDK, while emphasizing that there was no new name for President.
Extras for children: Several Facebook pages have published content with the title “BIG NEWS FOR PARENTS! Child allowances are increasing”, presenting the increase as a measure that has been implemented. However, the relevant articles clarify that this is a commitment by Albin Kurti for the next mandate. Currently, the allowances are 30 to 45 euros, while the increase to 60 to 90 euros is part of this promise.
LVV-PDK agreement: A content was published with the caption “SELF-DETERMINATION AGREEMENT REACHED”, without specifying what agreement it is about. This could create the impression that the two parties have reached a general political agreement. In fact, the agreement was related to a joint statement on the verdict of the Special Court against the former KLA leaders, while on the issue of the President there was only a willingness to discuss and no agreement was reached on any name.
Lies
Former CIA official and Albin Kurti: A video has been released claiming that a former CIA official has spoken about Albin Kurti and that he was trained to implement an American agenda in the Balkans. However, verification showed that the audio in the video was generated with artificial intelligence, while the claim attributed to the former CIA official is not true.
Manipulation of facts
The 2024 video is presented as a meeting in the USA: A video has been published showing Albin Kurti, Edi Rama and Arben Taravari, which is presented as if the footage was taken during a meeting in the USA. However, the video is from a meeting held in Skopje in January 2024, with the participation of the leaders of the Western Balkan countries. Thus, the content manipulates the facts by using real footage of a previous event and presenting it in a different context.
Unverified content
Image of Kurti next to Trump's figure: An image has been shared on social media claiming that Albin Kurti is photographed next to a figure that looks like a mock-up of Donald Trump. However, the image was generated with artificial intelligence and was initially published as a meme, with notes indicating that it was created with AI. Later, during other distributions, this context was lost and the image was presented as a real photograph. For this reason, the content has been assessed as “Unverified Content”.
Analyze and the narrative
Misinformation about the verdict against former KLA leaders:
A Briefing of misinformation cases related to the Kosovo Specialist Chambers’ verdict against former KLA leaders. During the period 15–30 September, 20 cases involving fake news, hoaxes, disinformation, manipulation of facts and clickbait were verified. The content used fabricated or falsely attributed statements to officials and public figures, old material presented as new developments, as well as images, videos and audio manipulated or generated with artificial intelligence. The analysis also included Serbian and Russian media narratives, as well as the way events and protests related to the verdict were presented.
Photos of Trump with world leaders
ARE published several photos of Donald Trump with world leaders, including Albin Kurti, Edi Rama, Hristijan Mickoski and Aleksandar Vučić, in which the US president appears in almost the same position and with the same pose. The similarity of the photos has raised suspicions that they may have been created or manipulated with artificial intelligence. However, analysis through HiveModeration did not identify the photos as generated by AI. The photos were taken during a reception hosted by Trump in New York on September 22, while the Presidency of Romania has clarified that the photos from the event were taken by the official White House photographer and were distributed to the participating missions. Also, other photos from the same event show that Trump has posed in other ways, including while shaking hands with leaders.
Serbian narrative of “expulsion of Serbs” and “terror”
After the arrest of nine Serbs in Zubin Potok, Sputnik Serbia and The Serbian Government's Office for Kosovo presented the action of Kosovo institutions as part of a systematic pressure on Serbs., claiming that the aim was to intimidate and expel them. In these narratives, the action was also personalized to Prime Minister Albin Kurti and presented as a political decision. However, data from the Kosovo Police and the Special Prosecution Office show that the operation was carried out within the framework of an investigation into war crimes, on the orders of the competent justice bodies.
The narrative of “ethnic cleansing” of Serbs:
The case was also used to reiterate narrative that the actions of Kosovo institutions are part of an orchestrated process to remove Serbs from Kosovo. This narrative presents a specific police operation as part of a broader political goal, leaving out the context of criminal investigation and institutional procedures.