Monthly Highlights December

During December, the RDN monitoring team identified a range of hateful narratives and discourse driven by anti-LGBTQI+ discourse, sexism alongside the glorification of war criminals, the publication of unverified information and the normalisation of gender-basedviolence.

Anti-LGBTQI+ discourse in Albania

In two separate television appearances in December, lawyer Zace Islami made a series of extreme anti-LGBTQ+ statements on national broadcasters Vizioni Plus and Report TV. Across both interviews, Islami used violent, dehumanising language, openly calling for the eradication of LGBTQ+ people and portraying them as a threat to Albanian society, the family, and national values. Despite the severity of the rhetoric, moderators did not interrupt the interviews or meaningfully challenge the incitement.

On 3 December, during a discussion on same-sex marriage on Living Day (Vizioni Plus), Islami repeatedly expressed violent intent toward LGBTQI+ people, stating that he wanted them “wiped out.” He described LGBTQI+ people as “against humanity,” “against human nature,” and “remnants of society that must be eradicated.” While claiming they could “do what they want in bed,” he insisted they should not be visible in public life, particularly in schools, again calling for their elimination. Although the moderator made brief attempts to maintain order, Islami repeated these statements multiple times without consequence.

On 10 December, appearing on Studio Live (Report TV) to discuss the newly approved Gender Equality Law, Islami escalated his rhetoric further. He stated that LGBTQ+ people had “no value,” said he did not consider them human, and referred to them as “cattle.” He framed LGBTQI+ people as an “imported minority” and described the Gender Equality Law as a “national disgrace” that “destroys the Albanian family.” As with the earlier appearance, the broadcaster did not cut the interview or directly challenge the hate speech.

Clips from the appearances circulated widely online. A video posted by Vizioni Plus on Instagram alone received over 91,000 likes, 10,000 comments, and more than 28,000 shares, and excerpts were republished by multiple online portals, fuelling widespread public debate.

Sexism amongst politicians in Kosovo

Actress Adriana Matoshi, a former MP from the Vetëvendosje party and a candidate in the snap parliamentary elections to be held on 28 December, has repeatedly criticised Sami Lushtaku, the current mayor of Skënderaj. She accused him of having bought land at symbolic prices and selling them at much higher prices, suggesting that he had “enriched himself” in this way.

Following the swearing-in ceremony for his new term as mayor of Skënderaj, and after journalists repeatedly pressed him to comment on Matoshi’s accusations, Lushtaku responded by saying that her level was as if she had “come out of a brothel.” In a second statement on the same issue, he also said that Kurti should “tie up the bi****s.”

These statements by Lushtaku prompted reactions from representatives of the Vetëvendosje party and its coalition partners, the Ombudsperson, the Kosovo Women’s Network, the Association of Women Journalists, as well as parts of civil society, women’s organisations, and public figures. On one media outlet’s social media platforms, some commenters criticised Lushtaku, while a significant number supported the hate speech directed at Adriana Matoshi.

However, it is important to remember that hate speech and sexism are never justified, neither in politics nor in any other sphere.

Normalisation of gender-based violence through humour in Serbia

Stefan Trajković Trajko (@trajkomusic) is a content creator who creates short clips for TikTok and Instagram, often skits featuring commercials for small local businesses in Serbia. These skits are often based on sexist stereotypes and patriarchal gender roles, while women are usually the butt of the joke. Even though a lot of his videos are harmful, those especially concerning were skits making jokes about gender-based violence. One of the skits starts with Trajko saying, “Not to brag, but I’m 31 and have the body of a 20-year-old girl” after which he opens the trunk of his car, revealing a tied-up girl.

Feminist organisation Osnažene reacted to this by calling on people to report the content and his account. They also listed the accounts of many businesses that worked with Trajko in the past stating, “Content that normalises violence against women, sexual abuse and their trivialisation is not a “joke” or a “controversy”. It’s harmful content with real consequences. And when such content is financed, the responsibility extends to those who pay for it. Report this content and account. Call out the brands, don’t fund the violence.”

Their reaction gained significant traction, and people started getting involved by reporting his account and tagging the businesses. Soon, Osnažene and other feminists who supported them started getting some unusual activity on their Instagram accounts. At first, Trajko communicated the whole situation as an attack on him, saying it severly affected his mental health. Later, he made a short video apologising and removed the few skits making jokes with GBV from his profile. However, all other harmful sexist and misogynist content remained visible, and since then, he made new skits where gender stereotypes and gender roles are the main plot.

As this case attracted public attention, TV Una invited Osnažene to talk about it, however insisted that they appear in a programme with Trajko. In another post, they explained why they will not appear together with Trajko, saying he should not be given media space. After many people reacted to this, calling out Una TV for unprofessional journalism in the comments. The newsroom heard the public criticism and decided not to give him space in their programme.

The glorification of war criminals in Bosnia and Herzegovina and Montenegro

In the year marking 30 years since the signing of the Dayton Peace Agreement, which formally ended the war in Bosnia and Herzegovina, graffiti appeared during the night of 15 December on the walls of the Embassy of Bosnia and Herzegovina in Podgorica. The messages glorified genocide and celebrated convicted war criminal Ratko Mladić. The message read “General, thank you for Srebrenica”. 

Bosnia and Herzegovina’s Ambassador to Montenegro Branimir Jukić told Radio Free Europe that the graffiti “can be qualified as hate speech, because it reads ‘General, thank you for Srebrenica’ and ‘Coffee, sweet Mladić Ratko’, and the Embassy’s signboard was scrawled with four Ss”.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Montenegro also strongly condemned the vandalism of the graffiti, which glorifies genocide and celebrates convicted war criminal Ratko Mladić.

“This heinous and unacceptable act represents a direct attack not only on the diplomatic mission of a friendly country, but also on the fundamental values of civilization, the culture of remembrance and the dignity of the victims of the most serious crimes on European soil after World War II,” the ministry said in a statement.

Although the case occurred in a neighbouring country, the media in BiH reported on the case as it concerned BiH, with most of the media outlets in the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina reporting professionally, adding judicial facts and context. However, the media in Republika Srpska did not address the case.

Similarly, in Montenegro, the media largely reported on the case in a correct and factual manner without sensationalism and incitement, clearly identifying the graffiti as vandalism and hate speech. Kenana Strujić Harbić, a Member of Parliament from the Bosniak Party in the Parliament of Montenegro, issued a statement regarding the incident. She assessed that the act does not represent an isolated case of vandalism, but rather a deliberate and staged provocation aimed at raising national tensions at a time when Montenegro is approaching the process of accession to the European Union. She also emphasised that the graffiti would be removed and that such provocations cannot damage relations between Montenegro and Bosnia and Herzegovina. Her statement was reported by the portal Borba in an article titled “Strujić Harbić knows who wrote the graffiti on the BiH Embassy: It is indisputable that they are acting on the orders of those who tell us to ‘jump first and say hop’.”

The comment section under the published article contained a significant number of insulting, aggressive, and inflammatory comments. Analysis of these comments shows that they largely lack reasoned debate and include personal insults, dehumanisation, ethnic generalisations, conspiracy theories, and elements of misogyny, shifting the discussion away from the incident itself and into the realm of hate speech.

This incident can be interpretated as part of the ongoing genocide denial and glorification of convicted war criminals, both in BiH and countries of the region. Beyond vandalism, this act represents an attack on collective memory, the dignity of victims and survivors, and post-war reconciliation efforts. Graffiti that glorifies genocide serves to normalise violence, retraumatise survivors, and perpetuate ethnic hatred across borders.

What appears in the media spills onto the streets whilst likewise, what is reported on in the media is often reflected in the streets creating a self-reinforcing cycle that normalises intolerance and deepens existing divisions. The media must be extremely careful and attentive to not help further spread ethnic hatred in a post-war society marked by fragility and unresolved tensions. 

The Consequences of Publishing Unverified Information in North Macedonia

British media outlets, citing The Times, reported that the United Kingdom was exploring agreements with North Macedonia and Kosovo to establish “return centres” for asylum seekers whose applications have been rejected, offering financial compensation and other incentives. Although the Macedonian government and the ruling party officially denied any negotiations or agreements, the reports triggered public panic and widespread confusion, amplified by local media and social networks. The official institutions stayed silent on the matter resulting in the public having no verified information on the case.

However, due to this vacuum created, the claims fuelled disinformation and xenophobic narratives about migrants, despite the fact that no formal policy or deal had been implemented. The media when reporting on the topic of migration often fails to make the distinction between various categories of migration including migrants such as economic migrants, refugees and asylum seekers. The choice of wording is extremely important when reporting on sensitive topics. By referring to refugees as migrants, media outlets and political parties often downplay the trauma of forced displacement and loss and violence that refugees and asylum seekers often experience. Rather than focusing on the human aspect of the matter, the media instead created a space for the spread of disinformation and fear mongering which results in online hate speech and xenophobia. 

This case rightfully points out the consequences of unverified information and underscores the critical role of timely, transparent, and credible information being provided by state institutions. It also highlights the responsibility of the media and public to use precise terminology when reporting on migrants and foreign affairs as well as the need to foster greater empathy and public discourse.