Prepared by: Festim Rizanaj
Fake news, manipulation of facts, and errors in reporting were the two categories that dominated last week, from February 9 to 14.
During the reporting week, two cases of fake news published on Facebook pages and accounts related to former President Hashim Thaçi and his trial in The Hague were identified. In the first case, an image was distributed with a fabricated statement attributed to Thaçi, with content challenging the prosecution and Serbia, but which, after verification, did not appear to have been published in any media or reliable source. In the second case, several accounts published a photo from the court session showing lawyer Lluka Misetić, claiming that Thaçi had stated in court that “he was not in the KLA and that he worked for the French Secret Service”. Verifications in official sources and credible reports have not found any evidence that such a statement was made during the trial.
In the category of manipulation of facts, unfounded and out-of-context claims were identified on social networks during the week. On the X platform, claims were distributed that over a million children were trafficked through Kosovo, linking them to the publication of the Jeffrey Epstein dossier by the US Department of Justice. These claims also mentioned the honorary consul of Kosovo in Thailand, Mom Luang Rajadarasri Jayankura, and included out-of-context photographs of Bill Clinton's family with Kosovar refugee children in Macedonia during 1999, creating a speculative narrative without evidence. Meanwhile, an image was published on Facebook claiming that Lumir Abdixhiku had given support to Vjosa Osmani, without clarifying the context. In fact, Abdixhiku's statement had to do with LDK's support for the Peace Board initiative, where Kosovo appears as a founding state, but the way it was presented left room for interpretation as support for a second presidential term.
In the category of reporting errors, inaccuracies were identified in both online and political media during this period. The medium Insajderi.org published a post on Facebook claiming that a police action had taken place in Durrës, illustrating it with photographs of the Albanian Police, while after verification it turned out that the event had taken place in the village of Arllat in Drenas, in Kosovo. Also, some media outlets incorrectly reported that the “Kurti 3” Government, led by Albin Kurti, has 20 ministries and a gender composition of 16 men and 4 women. In fact, according to the decision of the Assembly, the government has 19 ministries (21 members in total), with 5 women in ministerial positions. It was also incorrectly reported that “Kurti 2” had 16 ministries, while it had 15, which indicates that there was an increase, but the published figures were incorrect.
In the category of conspiracy theories, the Office for Kosovo in the Government of Serbia claimed that the desecration of the Orthodox cemetery in the village of Skullan was an indication of “Albanian extremism”, although the perpetrators have not been identified and there is no fact to support this claim; moreover, the village of Skullan belongs to the municipality of Graçanica and the case does not even appear in the 24-hour report of the Kosovo Police of February 9. In the category of clickbait, KosovaPress.com published a headline that Kosovar karatekas were “excluded” from the European in Cyprus, while verification showed that they did not participate due to the discriminatory conditions of the organizing state that does not recognize the independence of Kosovo. In a case of clickbait/disinformation, it was claimed that Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan had described Serbia as the strongest partner in the region, but official statements only speak of increased cooperation and investment, without such a qualification. While in the disinformation category, it was claimed that former Minister Rozeta Hajdari had been acquitted of charges in the “state reserves” case, although the trial continues in the Basic Court in Pristina and there is no final decision; the previous decision of the Supreme Court only concerned the measure of detention and not her guilt or innocence.
Conspiracy theory
The Office for Kosovo in the Government of Serbia, through a notice on its official website, has claimed that the desecration of the Orthodox cemetery in the village of Skullan in Lipjan is an indicator of Albanian extremism. After verification of the facts carried out by hibrid.info, it was confirmed that the perpetrators of the act have not been identified and there is no fact that supports this claim. Also, the village of Skullan belongs to the municipality of Gracanica, not Lipjan. Meanwhile, the statement of the deceased's family does not mention the ethnicity of the perpetrators, and the case does not even appear in the 24-hour report of the Kosovo Police dated February 9. (here)
Manipulation of facts
Various profiles on the social network X have published claims that over 1 million children have been trafficked through Kosovo. The claim came after the publication of the Epstein dossier by the US Department of Justice, which mentions Kosovo in several cases. One of these cases is the involvement in the correspondence of the honorary consul of the Republic of Kosovo in the Kingdom of Thailand, Princess Mom Luang Rajadarasri Jayankura. The claims have also involved the Clinton family out of context, posting photos of themselves with Kosovo refugee children in Macedonia during the war, in 1999. (here)
An image has been published on Facebook with the caption that Lumir Abdixhiku has given support to Vjosa Osmani, without explaining what kind of support it is. The post is based on a statement by Abdixhiku, where he expressed the LDK's support for the Peace Board initiative, where Kosovo appears as one of the founding states. Given that Osmani has also publicly expressed his ambition for a second term as President, the content discussed leaves the possibility for the reader to accept it as political support for this very issue. (here)
Clickbait
An article titled “Kosovo karate players excluded from European Championship in Cyprus due to state symbols” was published on Tuesday (February 10) by the “KosovaPress.com” News Agency. After verification by hibrid.info, it was confirmed that Kosovar karate players were not excluded, but did not participate in the European Championship in Cyprus due to discriminatory conditions imposed by the organizing state, which does not recognize Kosovo’s independence. (here)
Clickbait/Disinformation
Through articles, it has been claimed that Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has described Serbia as Turkey's strongest partner in the region. The claim that Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has described Serbia as Turkey's strongest partner in the region is not based on facts. From the verification of official statements and the post that was taken as a basis in the article, Erdogan has spoken about increased cooperation and investments. However, he has not described Serbia as Turkey's strongest partner in the region. (here)
error
The online medium “Insajderi.org” has published a post on Facebook with the caption that a police action took place in Durrës, attaching a photo of an Albanian Police vehicle. However, after clicking on the article and verifying the content, it was confirmed that the event took place in the village of Arllat in Drenas, Kosovo, and not in Durrës as claimed in the caption. (here)
Some media outlets have incorrectly reported that the “Kurti 3” Government has 20 ministries. It has also been incorrectly claimed that there is a gender split of ministers in the ratio of 16 men and 4 women. According to the Assembly’s decision and presentation, the new Government has 19 ministries (21 members, including the Prime Minister and a Deputy Prime Minister without a ministry assigned). Out of the 19 ministerial positions, 5 are women. It has also been incorrectly mentioned that “Kurti 2” had 16 ministries, when in fact it had 15. So, there was an increase, but the figures for the number and gender split were incorrect. (here)
Fake news
Several Facebook pages published an image of former Kosovo President Hashim Thaçi, with a caption purporting to be his statement. "There is no sold-out prosecutor who can blackmail, insult and slander me in my just war against Serbia. Even if you give me 200 years in prison, I declare that I will always return the rifle and the pen to the aggressor Serbia" - Yours, Hashim Thaçi”. After verification, hibrid.info has confirmed that such a statement has never been published in the media or reliable sources. Online searches (Google) did not find any articles supporting this claim. (here)
Several Facebook accounts have published an image from the court hearing in The Hague, showing lawyer Lluka Mishetić, with a caption claiming that Hashim Thaçi “was not in the KLA and that he worked for the French Secret Service”, implying that this claim was made in court. After verifying official sources and credible media reports, hibrid.info has found no evidence that such a statement was made by the defense, prosecution or other parties in the process. Also, online searches do not result in any credible source reporting this claim. (here)
disinformation
It has been claimed through publications on portals and social media that the former Minister of Industry, Entrepreneurship and Trade (MINT), Rozeta Hajdari, has been acquitted of charges for alleged misuse of state reserves. The claim that former Minister Rozeta Hajdari has been acquitted of charges in the “state reserves” case is untrue. The trial is still ongoing at the Basic Court in Pristina and there is no final decision. The previous decision of the Supreme Court related only to the detention measure for three suspects, not to the guilt or innocence of Hajdari. (here)