Last week was characterized by a dominance of unverified content in the misinformation ecosystem in Kosovo. Unverified content included articles related to claims by media and officials regarding drones, as well as damage to cemeteries and KLA inscriptions in Serb-majority settlements.
Last week, there were also clickbait articles, mainly related to the Instagram problem and Montenegrin Prime Minister Abazović.
As for the manipulation of facts, some Serbian and Spanish media outlets have manipulated the fact that the elderly woman physically abused in the nursing home is Serbian.
Fake news that Halil Kastrati has sheltered and physically abused an elderly woman, as well as financial aid for pensioners and social assistance beneficiaries.
Clickbait
The Facebook page "Lexo Sot" has published an old news story from February, when Germany announced a deportation offensive against foreign immigrants. This page has tried to present this article as current. (here)
Several portals in Kosovo have published an article regarding the problems that have appeared on the social network “Instagram”, preventing access to the accounts of many users around the world. However, the aforementioned portals have given this article an inadequate title with the claim that “Instagram is being shut down for Kosovars”, implying that this problem only concerns users from Kosovo. Also, these portals do not argue this claim with any additional facts or data. (here)
Several portals have published an article about the acting Prime Minister of Montenegro, Dritan Abazović, who gave the passport of this country to the former Serbian basketball player, Vlade Divac. However, in the title these portals referred to Abazović as the Albanian Prime Minister. In the definition of “nation state” it falls to Abazović to be a Malaysian Prime Minister, while only the Albanian Prime Minister is recognized as the Albanian Prime Minister, Edi Rama. (here)
Unverified content/disinformation
Serbian state television "RTS" has published articles unofficially reporting that "some drones have been observing the Serbian army near several border points with Kosovo." Serbian President Vučić, who gave the Army a readiness order regarding "enemy drones," responded to the unfounded claims of Serbian public television. However, in addition to not presenting facts proving the presence of these drones, the three Serbian political and institutional leaders give different versions of the events. Vučić calls them "enemy drones," but without defining who he is referring to with this term, Brnabić links this to the events in Kosovo, but without saying who launched those vehicles, while Vučević says that these drones came from Kosovo, but it is not known whose they are. The Minister of Defense of the Republic of Kosovo, Armend Mehaj, has reacted to the claims of the media and officials, and has denied the claims about the alleged the movement of unknown drones from the territory of the Republic of Kosovo over the settlement of Raška. (here)
Unverified content
Serbian-language media have published a statement by the Office for Kosovo in the Government of Serbia regarding the KLA inscription on the wall of a Serbian family's house in the village of Suhodoll, Lipjan. The office blamed Albanians for the incident, "extremists and hooligans" inspired by the anti-Serbian movements of official Pristina and planned with the aim of expelling them. Based on the analysis of the facts, it turns out that this claim by this Serbian institution is considered "unverified content". (here)
Several Facebook pages have published a video footage of the KLA martyr in the recent war in Kosovo, Fitush Kukaj, whom they have falsely presented as Taulant Nura, the late son of the woman who was physically attacked by a nurse at the “Orenda” nursing home in Peja. (here)
Serbian media have published articles claiming that one of the unmanned aerial vehicles (drones) that flew near Serbian army barracks, located at several points near the border with Kosovo, has been neutralized. The claims of the Serbian media are based on a statement from the Serbian Ministry of Defense and a statement by the ministry's minister, Miloš Vučević. In addition to not presenting facts proving the downing of the drone, the ministry and its minister give different versions about the identity of the drone. While the ministry identifies the drone as "commercial", its minister says that they are continuing to identify the type and owner of the drone. Despite this, KFOR has stated that there is currently no evidence for what is being discussed in the media regarding drones. (here)
Serbian media outlets “Republika.rs” and “Alo.rs” have published an article regarding the damage to Serbian cemeteries in southern Mitrovica, claiming that this act was committed by Albanians. The articles are based on a news item published by the Serbian language media outlet “Kosovo-online.com”, the title or content of which does not state that this act was committed by Albanians. (here)
Manipulation of facts
“Alo.rs” and several Serbian-language social media channels have misused the tragedy depicted in the video content, falsely claiming that the elderly woman being physically abused is a Serbian woman. They made this claim through the title and description of the video. (here)
Several Spanish media outlets have published articles regarding the case of physical abuse of an elderly woman in a nursing home in Kosovo, claiming that she is from the Serbian community. The Spanish media outlets are likely basing their claim on misinformation made by Serbian media outlets regarding the ethnic identity of the victim. (here)
Fake news
Several Facebook pages have published an old photo from October 2021, showing the head of the charity, Halil Kastrati, together with an elderly person. In the description of this photo, these pages have falsely claimed that the elderly woman seen in this image is the elderly woman who was physically attacked by a nurse at the “Orenda” nursing home in Peja, adding that Kastrati has already sheltered her at the “Jetimat e Balkanit” nursing home. (here)
The Facebook page “Lexo Sot” has posted an article published by the dubious portal “news308media.com” on October 7, 2021 regarding pensions and social assistance beneficiaries. After research conducted by hibrid.info, it has been confirmed that the authentic article was published in August 2018, at the time when Bedri Hamza was the Minister of Finance. This dubious portal has intentionally deleted Hamza's name, replacing it with the name of the current Minister of Finance, Hekuran Murati, in order to present the news as current. This article was then published, on November 5, by the “Lexo Sot” page on Facebook. (here)
error
Several portals in Kosovo and Albania have reported on the suspension of the Regional Director of Mitrovica North, Nenad Gjuric, while in the headlines they have interpreted this decision of the Kosovo Police as a "dismissal". (here)