December 2023

The Balkan Troll of the Month is an individual, a group of individuals or a media outlet that spreads hate based on gender, ethnicity, religion, or other diversity categories. The Balkan Troll is selected based on hate speech incidents identified across the Western Balkans region. 

This month, in the morning show “Novo jutro” on TV Pink in Serbia, a private video of opposition MP Đorđe Miketić was broadcast, where he was shown in sexual intercourse with an unidentified woman. In the early morning hours, the topic was announced, and screenshots from this compromising video were shown several times, after which the video itself was demonstrated live, first on mute and then with audio. The video was broadcast around 9 o’clock in the morning.  

The tabloids, online portals, and other media outlets quickly picked up the story. On the same day, they published excerpts from the video with sensational headlines targeting Miketić in an attempt to discredit him as a public official and a candidate for the Assembly of the City of Belgrade. Perhaps the most gruesome was the front page of the daily tabloid Alo, which featured an explicit screenshot from the video.  

The faces and intimate parts of bodies shown on TV Pink were blurred. However, the pornographic nature of the video was quite clear from what was shown. Also, the MP was unambiguously named in the show several times. By publishing this video, TV Pink violated the right to privacy of Miketić, as well as several media laws and regulations in Serbia. This includes the Law on Electronic Media, the Rulebook on the Protection of Human Rights in the Field of Media Services, as well as the Rulebook on the Protection of the Rights of Minors in the Field of Media Services, as pornographic content is prohibited due to the protection of minors. 

Miketić, coming from the opposition party Zajedno (Together), was active in the election campaign of the main opposition coalition Srbija protiv nasilja (Serbia Against Violence), but withdrew after TV Pink published the video. This took place only two weeks before parliamentary elections in Serbia and local elections in Belgrade, where Miketić was a candidate for the member of the City Assembly. 

The video was shared on social media before being broadcast on TV Pink. However, it was quickly removed. A few days before this, Miketić stated he was blackmailed and received threats that this video would be published. At the same time, the president of Serbia, Aleksandar Vučić, called Miketić a “human disgrace” in a show on TV Pink and followed by saying, “He won’t ask me much about what I am saying because he knows what I know. And when I said human disgrace, believe me, that is such a mild phrase… I better not say anything.” Miketić also says this video was stolen together with other old documents when his apartment was broken into about a year ago, and he claims that the Security Intelligence Agency was involved with this.  

The Regulatory Body for Electronic Media (REM) reacted promptly and published a statement on the same day when the video was broadcast, saying they initiated proceedings against TV Pink for showing “explicit content in the morning program.” However, since that day, REM did not refer to this case again or inform the public about the outcome of the proceedings. It is important to note that TV Pink’s license for national frequency was recently renewed by REM, despite the fact that Pink made multiple violations of media regulations in Serbia, some of which were even recorded and recognised by REM itself. 

The broadcast of this video was the climax of the negative campaign against political opponents, which contained discriminatory language and harmful narratives as recorded by the RDN monitoring team. The campaign intensified as elections held on December 17^th approached. This way of dealing with political opponents is not unusual in Serbia, but that does not reduce its damage to the culture of political dialogue or the lack of fair election campaigns.  

Fact-checking portal Istinomer, through their media monitoring of the election campaign, recorded over 160 cases of disinformation and manipulation on the front pages of the nine daily newspapers with the largest circulation. In this report, Istinomer also highlighted “the extremely negative propaganda directed at the representatives of the opposition, in which public officials and the media jointly participated”. 

Throughout the month of November, the RDN monitoring team has detected hatred based on ethnicity, gender, race, the trivialisation of femicide and hatred against political opponents.

Racism in Albania and Kosovo

In Albania, an agreement was made between the Albanian and Italian Prime Ministers to relocate thousands of African migrants, currently recognised as asylum seekers in Italy, to Albania. 

The media has reported on this agreement in an altogether polarised manner – either being for or against the decision, which has equally been reflected by the public which is divided on the issue. As a result, there has been an increase in racist content, portrayed in the form of humour such as through memes, funny reels, and videos, as well as through articles including racist, insulting headlines. Aside from this there has equally been cases of racist content and rhetoric being upheld and spread by public figures including statements containing elements of dehumanising language towards refugees.

One such article was on syri.net, whose headline reads “Edi Rama’s ‘black’ Albania. Are you ready?”. Hateful, discriminatory, and racist narratives like these are highly problematic and unacceptable. Racism of any form is unacceptable – be it spread from a member of the public, a public figure, or the media itself. Furthermore, it is imperative for the media to uphold both professional and moral standards, refraining from leveraging their platform and influence to disseminate racist and discriminatory headlines and content under any circumstances.

In Kosovo, rapper Loredana Zefi posted several photos on her social media of herself and her partner, German footballer Karim Adeyemi, to showcase their closeness. As a result of this, many individuals in Germany came out expressing their concern that due to their relationship, the footballer is neglecting his career, arguing that his relationship with the rapper is negatively impacting him.

Loredena Zefi was born in Switzerland and is well-known on the international scene. She was previously married to a renowned Kosovar singer whom she also had a child with. Her current relationship with Adeyemi has resulted in various hateful comments aimed towards both individuals on a personal level as well as questioning the choice of Loredana to be in a relationship with Adeyemi. Patriarchal and conservative stances are still very present in Kosovar society, resulting in struggles with accepting differences and diversity. This further results in discriminatory views often being published and shared on social media, including racism and sexism, which is never acceptable.

Sexism in Montenegro

MP Aleksandra Vuković Kuč, member of the opposition Democratic Party of Socialists, fell victim to severe insults and misogynistic speech on various social media networks. Slavica Illinčić, a public official and her political opponent, also released insults on Vuković’s Facebook page following several photos of Vuković circulating on social media. Alongside this, an avalanche of hateful comments, including remarks regarding Vuković’s pregnancy, her looks, her national identity and various other sexist and misogynistic comments were posted.

As a result, the Basic Prosecutor’s Office in Podgorica opened a case with the aim to determine if there are any elements of a criminal offense as a result of the inappropriate comments about Vuković’s private live. The attack on Vuković was furthermore, strongly condemned by the majority of non-governmental organisations, her party, opposition colleagues and civil activists. The Defender of Human Rights and Freedoms called on the authorities to respond to this case, even to dismiss Ilinčić from office.

Alongside online violence and sexist, insulting hate speech, Vuković has also been said to experience attacks on the street. Unfortunately, violence against women and sexist remarks online for women engaged in public life is commonplace and on the rise on social networks. This is in line with the results of the Digital Forensic Centre’s October researcher ‘Sexism in Online Media’.

Online trolling, a manifestation of individuals seeking to inflict harm and spread hatred, is never justified. Cases like these maintain the cycle of violence towards women including upholding misogyny in society. The online space should be one ruled by dignity and respect rather than being used as a means to spread hate and sexism. Furthermore, individuals such as Slavica Illinčić should not be using their online platforms to spread hate speech in any form. Such attitudes by public figures can only justify and trigger further hate online as well as offline.

Trivialisation of femicide in Bosnia and Herzegovina

In Bosnia and Herzegovina, a thirty-year-old woman has been the latest victim of femicide in the country. She endured violence from her ex-partner that culminated in her violent death. The perpetrator then fled and hid in an apartment where he was ultimately arrested.

The following day, the abuser and murderer’s lawyer stated that his client loved his wife and was a caring father, labelling the act of femicide as the end of a tragic love story. This statement and sentiment were reported on by numerous media outlets, without challenging this harmful narrative.

Femicide, a brutal manifestation of gender-based violence, represents the gravest violation of women’s rights and the most extreme consequence of deeply rooted patriarchal structures. Within the Western Balkans, femicide stems from a  structure of inequality, patriarchy, and misogyny, which needs to be addressed. The fight against femicide must be addressed at every level of society, from education, policy and law implementation to the mechanism, institutions, and structures in place to prevent, address, and respond to femicide. Furthermore, a serious topic like femicide needs to be addressed in the appropriate manner. Trivialising and undermining the gravity of femicide is not only harmful to those who have fallen victim to such crimes and violence but also to the overall protection of those who are in a vulnerable position.

The media, with a large platform and indeed with an educative and informative role in society, should not spread this kind of rhetoric which only serves to trivialise femicide and undermine its causes. It is imperative to address femicide with the gravity it deserves, ensuring that perpetrators face the appropriate consequences for their actions.

Hate speech against political opponents in North Macedonia and Serbia

Dragan Kovacki, a member of parliament from the VMRO-DPMNE party, was involved in the spread of disinformation. Using a photo from a concert in Sofia and portraying it as an image from the Boris Trajkovski Hall in Skopje, the act was an attempt to misrepresent the setup for the upcoming OSCE summit scheduled to be held at the Hall. The summit, significant to North Macedonia as it chairs the OSCE, was expected to attract over a thousand attendees from around 70 international delegations.

Following the media’s exposure of this act of disinformation, Kovacki acknowledged that the news was indeed false and proceeded to remove the post. However, rather than issuing a public apology, he responded with a Facebook post containing slanderous remarks, hate speech, and criticism of his critics and political opponents.

An individual, such as a member of parliament who thereby holds a position of power and responsibility, should be both accountable and professional. Spreading disinformation is both unprofessional and harmful, whilst furthermore, using social media to spread hate speech and rhetoric aimed towards political opponents is unacceptable. Differences in political opinion should never be a justification for hate speech.

In Serbia, in the morning show “Novo jutro” on Pink TV, a private video of MP Đorđe Miketić was broadcast, where he was shown having sexual intercourse with an unidentified woman. At the beginning of the show, screenshots from this video were shown several times, after which the video itself was broadcasted, first on mute and then with audio.

Regardless of the faces and intimate parts of the bodies of the people shown being blurred, the pornographic nature of the video was quite clear from what was shown. Furthermore, the MP was unambiguously named in the show several times. Moreover, during the morning show, host Jovana Jeremić asked, “Will we see, in a few days, the continuation of the video, which is perhaps far more perverse and has European rainbow colours? Whatever that means.” Her statement can be interpreted as an attempt to threaten further violation of Miketić’s privacy.

By publishing this video TV Pink violated all rights to privacy of Miketić, as well as several media laws and regulations in Serbia. Prior to airing it on a television channel with national frequency without authorisation, the video was initially shared on social media but promptly taken down.

Various tabloid media picked up on the story and shared screenshots with sensationalistic headlines in print and online portals. Indeed, a few days prior to this, Miketić revealed that he had been blackmailed with threats of this video being published. At the same time, the president of Serbia, Aleksandar Vučić, said that Miketić was a “human disgrace” in a show on Pink TV, and that Miketić will not ask him why he is saying that because, as he said, “he knows what I know”.

Miketić himself said that this video was stolen together with other old documents when his apartment was broken into about a year ago and claims that the Security Intelligence Agency was involved with this. In reaction, the Regulatory Authority for Electronic Media (REM) initiated proceedings against TV Pink for showing explicit content in the morning program whereby the Expert Service concluded that the release of such content was indeed a violation of the Law on Electronic Media, the Rulebook on the Protection of Human Rights in the Field of Media Services, and the Rulebook on the Protection of the Rights of Minors in the Field of Media Services.

This case is a clear example of a blatant violation of, as well as an attempt to discredit political opponents by manipulation with such content. Such actions not only breach ethical standards but also inflict serious harm on the individuals involved, undermining the principles of respect, consent, and personal dignity. This furthermore does harm to the overall culture of political debate, replacing it with smear campaigns. TV Pink must face the appropriate consequences and be held accountable for their actions.

Throughout the month of October, the RDN monitoring team has detected a range of hateful narratives and discourse. This month, we have seen hatred based on gender, ethnicity as well as hatred aimed towards journalists and persons with disabilities.

Trivialisation of rape and attacks on a journalist reporting on sexual abuse in Albania

In the last weeks of October, a horrible case of sexual abuse and rape happened in the city of Vlora, where a 26-year-old girl was allegedly encouraged to use narcotics by some citizens, three of whom were then suspected of having violent sexual intercourse with her. The case was reported by local and national media outlets. A local correspondent, Afrovita Hysaj, who was covering and reporting on the event, was threatened by the administrator of a local television “6+1” in Vlora – Albert Deliaj. This came as a reaction to Hysaj, who reported that there were not three but rather four people who had allegedly raped the girl after having drugged her, without ever mentioning the identity of the fourth person. However, the owner of the local television “6+1”, mistakenly understood as if the correspondent was implying that the fourth person involved was his son.

Due to this, Hysaj proceeded to fall victim to a banal, criminal attack by the television owner. This included a derogatory article published on the local television website and on its social networks. The attack and threats were based on what Hysaj says were incorrect claims that she had connected the television owner’s son with the drugging and rape of the 26-year-old girl. Albert Deliaj, the owner and administrator of the local television threatened Hysaj. As a result, Hysaj reported to the police that she had received death threats.

Following this, the police of Vlora announced that they had started a criminal proceeding against Albert Deliaj on the basis of ‘intimidation’. The attack of Hysaj resulted in a harsh reaction from colleagues and media organisation such as the Union of Albanian Journalists. Furthermore, the Safe Journalists’ Network also condemned the event as an unprecedented attack on a journalist from a media outlet, asking 6+1 Vlora channel to publicly apologise. 

After the rape case was reported in the media, lawyer Vjollca Pustina made a very shocking and surprising statement. She claimed that cases like these “usually happen after girls drink too much”. This statement resulted in numerous reactions on social media networks, as it was both said and broadcast on national television Vizion +. Furthermore, being a lawyer and so being by profession, someone who should be implementing the law and bringing perpetrators to justice, one should expect someone in such a role to be professional in their attitudes towards serious crimes and not justify abusers and cases of rape. Victims of rape are never responsible for the violence they endured and the only one to blame is the perpetrator(s). Using victim-blaming narratives can have devastating consequences not only towards the person it is directed to, but to all other women who are enduring sexual violence or have so in the past.

Ethnic discrimination in Bosnia and Herzegovina, North Macedonia, Montenegro

Uroš Bjelica, the advisor to the President of Republika Srpska, said Sarajevo is “Unfortunately, today, an ordinary Islamic quarter in the heart of the Balkans, which we can see only in Arab countries”. This remark was made as a response to the protests held in Sarajevo against the killing of civilians in Gaza. Bjelica reiterated that Sarajevo is indeed a monoethnic, Muslim town and that therefore, it is a false narrative from both politicians and the media who highlight the multi-ethnic and cosmopolitan life of the city.

Milorad Dodik, the president of Republika Srpska, often states the same opinion, that Sarajevo is not a multi-ethnic city, that there are no Serbs in it. His advisor equally continues to uphold and spread this rhetoric. Bjelica emphasises how Sarajevo is falsely multi-ethnic when despite having mosques, synagogues, churches, and cathedrals, it is the people who live there that define the city. To him, Sarajevo is now what he defines as ‘an ordinary Islamic quarter in the heart of the Balkans’. His statement has Islamophobic undertones, as by saying this can only be seen in Arab countries may imply that there is no place for Muslims in the Balkans.

Furthermore, Bjelica goes on to claim that unlike Sarajevo and the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina, Republika Srpska has a life of openness, cooperation, and dialogue with an aim of building a system which is to the benefit of all in the county. In comparison, according to him, the politicians of the Bosniak people only send poisonous arrows with the ‘clear intention of creating a unitary BiH’.

Within an ethno-religiously diverse society and country such as Bosnia and Herzegovina, spreading narratives of divide can result in further division and tension amongst various groups in society. Holding a protest for the protection of citizens in Gaza is a democratic right of the people of Sarajevo and not something which should be punished nor taken as an attack on the multi-ethnic and religious nature of the city. An individual with a platform such as Uroš Bjelica, should not be using his influence to spread hateful rhetoric and ethnic discrimination.

Following the recent incident in Kosovo where a group of armed Serbs attacked the Kosovo police in the north of the country, the Minister of Foreign Affairs of North Macedonia, Bujar Osmani, came out with a statement that if it was found that Serbia was in some ways involved in the attack on Kosovo soil, then Macedonia should rescind its membership in the Open Balkans initiative. As a result, a private X (formerly Twitter) user published a Tweet saying that the ‘Shi*** Ministers do not give a f*** about the PM Dimitar Kovacevski’ who is a vocal supporter and champion of the Open Balkans initiative. North Macedonian officials of Albanian origin have been criticised in the past that they care more about the interests of the neighbouring Kosovo and Albania than for Macedonia’s democracy, as revealed by the insulting response of this private X (Twitter) user.

Unfortunately, hate speech and insults towards ethnic Albanians persists in other areas of the country such as in a recent statement, where the mayor of Tetovo expressed a viewpoint that if the government is considering the singing of the Macedonian national hymn in schools, it should simultaneously recognize the significance of the Albanian population in regions where they are a majority. Specifically, in cities like Tetovo, where Albanians comprise a significant part of the demography, their cultural and national symbols should be granted equal importance and respect. Following this, a X (Twitter) user similarly published an insult to the mayor, saying that he should “go to Albania” if he wants the Albanian national hymn to be sung in schools. Cases like the recent debate around the singing of national hymns in schools highlight the fragility of the relationship between these two communities therefore, comments such as these are extremely dangerous and can result in heightened tensions.

Furthermore, this month, a heated altercation erupted on an episode of the political talk show “Only the Truth” on one of the most popular media outlets in the country, the national Channel 5 TV, with journalist and host Aleksandar Vidinovski clashing with a guest, the analyst Ismet Ramadani. The dispute escalated to the point where the director of Channel 5 intervened by going live from outside the studio, defending the journalist and the station and ultimately demanding that Ramadani be removed from the program and his appearance be cut short. The confrontation was sparked when Ismet Ramadani, president of the Euro-Atlantic Council, accused the host of biased reporting by only spotlighting Albanian nationalist remarks while ignoring nationalist rhetoric from the largest opposition party, VMRO-DPMNE, the leftist party “Levica,” and other parties within the Macedonian political spectrum. The incident resulted in numerous individuals on X (Twitter) and Facebook, labelling Ismet Ramadani using a derogatory, insulting label applied to Albanians. This term has been historically used in a disparaging manner and reflects underlying ethnic tensions within the region. In no instance is the use of hateful, derogatory labelling and language justified.

In Montenegro, the citizens received a message from the patriarch of the Serbian Orthodox Church who, two weeks before the initially planned start of the population census, called on the citizens of Montenegro to claim themselves to be Serbs, believers of the Serbian Orthodox Church and speakers of the Serbian language. This message can be viewed as a form of pressure and intimidation towards other ethnicities in Montenegro. Montenegro is a multi-ethnic society and existing tensions are being heightened due to the upcoming census. Divisions along ethnic lines are being amplified with the preparation for the census, which focuses on the citizens ethnic, religious and language choice of identification. Throughout the preparation there was a lot of division and messages being sent out from pro-Serb and pro-Russian influences in Montenegro calling for citizens to declare themselves as Serbs, as well as the pressure and messages coming from the patriarch of the Serbian Orthodox Church. The media was equally divided on this topic, with pro-Montenegrin outlets offering criticism and pro-Serbian outlets supporting such campaigns and narratives. It is the duty of the media to report in a responsible manner and not cause division amongst the public. Likewise, it is important for political and religious leaders and representatives to refrain from using their influence and platform to create and deepen existing ethnic divisions within multi-ethnic countries such as Montenegro.

Transphobia in Kosovo

During a talk show ‘Big Talk’ on TV Klan Kosova, journalist Edona Gashi stated that she has many friends who belong to the LGBTIQ + community. However, she made a point to note that she does not support transgender people, that is, to be more specific, “sex change”. According to her, it is something which goes against God’s will. The term “sex change” is often used by the media in the Western Balkans – however, it is outdated and harmful to the transgender community. It is also inadequate and inaccurate since it refers to a process of adapting or adjusting one’s sex to their gender identity. It is used in different ways, however, mostly when talking about gender-affirming surgeries, which is a much more fitting and accurate term. This statement was also reported on by the online media Insajderi. Although there was not a wide reaction on the social media network Facebook, all the commenters nevertheless supported the position of the journalist Gashi.

Within Kosovo, conservative views often dominate when it comes to the LGBTIQ+ community.  Personal religious views and beliefs are often used as arguments against LGBTIQ+ rights. However, it is not anyone’s religious freedom to deny a person their human rights. It is important to note that every individual has the choice and right to express their gender identity freely and to have access to quality health care. Transphobia, as well as homophobia, should never be accepted – narratives like these promoted by journalist Gashi, only serve to promote anti-LGBTIQ+ rhetoric. Furthermore, the media should refrain from spreading these messages to their audiences, which can promote homophobia and transphobia, especially without providing a critical viewpoint to such attitudes.

Discrimination against persons with disabilities in Serbia

Influencer Milica Popadić, in an online show on Hype TV, commented on how persons with disabilities should not get exposure or influence on social media. Popadić justified this by explaining that she believes they will face discrimination, and therefore, they shouldn’t expose themselves “at all costs”. She also said it is okay for persons with disabilities to get exposure on social media if this is a way for “someone to help them”. However, when referring to persons with disabilities, Popadić used harmful terminology such as “physical and mental defects”. She continued talking about this topic and used influencers Julija and Natalija Đukić or Fitness Bliznakinje (the Fitness Twins) as an example, mocking them, even though they have never identified as persons with disability, nor has this information ever been shared before. She mocked the way they speak, their tone of voice and similarities, implying this is a disability. Using someone who does not have disability but only has a slightly different manner of speech as an example may indicate there is little room provided for any kind of diversity on the Serbian and Balkan online space.

Individuals with disabilities are individuals – they should be treated with equal respect as anyone and everyone else. Using harmful and stigmatising terminology to describe and attribute characteristics to individuals with disabilities is extremely hateful and ignorant. An influencer such as Popadić who is making a public appearance, and has over 500k followers on TikTok, should be aware and responsible for her words. She should not use her platform to promote harmful and stigmatising rhetoric towards individuals with disabilities. Furthermore, commenting that individuals with disabilities should refrain from getting exposure due to possible discrimination says more about the society and the population’s attitude towards persons with disabilities than anything else – no one should be treated differently, be discriminated against, or excluded from public life for any reason.