During the period 06–12 April, monitoring of media and social platforms shows a dominance of fake news, manipulation of facts and unverified content, which was distributed mainly through social networks and suspicious websites.
During this period, fake news was mainly published on social networks such as Facebook and on dubious websites, focusing on political topics and high-ranking state figures. Among the main claims was that the Government of Kosovo will confiscate the properties of former President Vjosa Osmani due to the lack of justification of the financial source – an untrue claim, as the relevant law is not yet in force and official statements do not indicate any violations. Another fake news that circulated claimed that the President of Croatia, Zoran Milanović, had praised Prime Minister Albin Kurti, but verifications show that such a statement does not exist in any credible source. These cases testify to the use of political figures and sensitive topics to promote disinformation and influence public perception.
In the past week, cases of manipulation of facts have also been identified, mainly published on Facebook through images with false captions that distort the statements of political figures. One of them attributes an untrue statement to MP Hykmete Bajrami, adding in a fabricated manner an assessment of the governance of Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić, while she had only expressed criticism of political developments in the country. In another case, a Facebook page published an image claiming that Ramush Haradinaj had commented on the diaspora, creating a false narrative about a statement that he did not make in the relevant interview. These cases show the use of manipulated visual content to distort the positions of politicians and to incite wrong reactions in the public.
During this period, unverified content published by several Albanian-language online media outlets was also identified, which disseminated unconfirmed information without relying on credible sources. One of them is related to the claim about the death of the Iranian Supreme Leader, Mojtaba Khamenei, which was based on a fake account on the X platform that was mistakenly presented as an official source of the US Army. In another case, a claim was published that the Kosovo football coach, Franco Foda, had commented on the “leak” of the Turkish team, but verifications showed that this statement does not exist and its source was a post on Reddit that was then distributed on social networks as an opinion. These cases highlight the media’s tendency to amplify unverified information that originates from unofficial and unreliable sources.
Cases of clickbait content and disinformation have also been identified, which have been published mainly on social networks and online media to attract public attention. One such example is the “Gazeta Minuti” page on Facebook, which has shared claims that the Kurti Government will allocate 100 euros for each child and an additional 150 euros for pensioners, presenting these as decisions taken, while the information has not been reported by any credible source and turns out to be incorrect. On the other hand, some media have published disinformation regarding the claim that the construction of a 15 million franc mosque by Albanians in Switzerland has been stopped, while in reality the project in Siebnen has been temporarily suspended by the community itself due to local objections, and not by the authorities. These cases show the use of sensational headlines and distorted interpretation of facts to increase clicks and spread misinformation.
Fake news
The claim that the Government of Kosovo will confiscate the properties of former President Vjosa Osmani because she has not justified their financial source is false. The Law on the State Bureau for Verification and Confiscation of Unjustified Wealth is not yet in force. Meanwhile, Osmani's official property declarations show that all of her declared properties also have a justification for their financial source. Also, investigations by the AKK have not found any discrepancies. (here)
Through a post circulating on Facebook, it is alleged that the President of Croatia, Zoran Milanović, has praised the Prime Minister of Kosovo, Albin Kurti, emphasizing that he strongly defends the interests of the country. Verification of the facts shows that such a statement was not made, at least publicly, by Milanović. Searches in several languages and sources do not reveal any credible evidence supporting this claim. (here)
Manipulation of facts
An image is published with the caption that Hykmete Bajrami, a member of the Kosovo Assembly from the Democratic League of Kosovo, has declared: "Woe to us who is leading us, it would have been better if we were under Vuqiqi's rule.". Bajrami, through a Facebook status, criticized the latest demands of Albin Kurti, the Prime Minister of Kosovo, for the election of the president, giving the assessment at the end with the phrase "Woe to us, who is leading us!". However, she did not give the hypothetical assessment where she is alleged to have said that: "It would have been better if we were under Vuqiq's rule.". (here)
An image has been published showing Ramush Haradinaj, the leader of the Alliance for the Future of Kosovo (AAK), with the caption: "Ramushi: Does the Diaspora love Kosovo less? The statement that is blowing up the internet!". This CONTENT was posted on Tuesday (April 7) on Facebook, by the page named “ZeriSot”. Ramush Haradinaj was invited to the “Debat Plus” show on RTV Dukagjini, on Monday, April 6. The claim of this page refers precisely to this interview. However, Haradinaj did not mention the diaspora at all in this appearance. (here)
Unverified content
Several Albanian-language online media outlets reported on Wednesday (April 8) that Iran's new Supreme Leader, Mojtaba Khamenei, has died. The claim by several Albanian-language media outlets about the death of Iranian Supreme Leader, Mojtaba Khamenei, referring to a supposedly official US Army account, is unconfirmed and not supported by official sources. The information that has been circulating is based on an account on X that is not an official US Army account, as claimed, and contains questionable information, including linguistic errors. (here)
Several Albanian-language media outlets published an incorrect claim that Kosovo's national football coach, Franco Foda, commented on the "leak" of Turkey's lineup before the match on March 31. Verification by hibrid.info showed that this statement was not made by Foda. The claim originated from a post on Reddit and then on the X platform, where it was distributed as an opinion by a user, not as an official statement. (here)
Clickbait
The “Gazeta Minuti” Facebook page claims through two posts that the Kurti Government will allocate 100 euros for each child, and that pensioners will benefit from an additional 150 euros. After fact-checking conducted by hibrid.info, it was confirmed that this information has not been reported by any information portal. In the links to these posts published by “Gazeta Minuti” it is claimed that support measures are being considered in Kosovo that include 100 euros for children, as well as an additional 150 euros for pensioners, while through the titles these additions are presented as accomplished facts. (here)
disinformation
Some media outlets have claimed that Switzerland has banned Albanian investment in a 15 million franc mosque. The claim that Switzerland has banned a 15 million franc mosque for Albanians is incorrect. The Albanian-language media publication, which is being reviewed by hibrid.info, contains a photo of the rumored million-franc mosque project. It is about a project in Siebnen that was temporarily suspended by the Albanian community itself after local objections, not by the authorities. The media mistakenly used photos of another project in St. Gallen, creating misinformation. (here)