RT Balkan with biased and false reporting on the indictment for the Ibër-Lepenc explosion

The Special Prosecution of Kosovo has filed an indictment against three individuals suspected of carrying out the explosion in the “Ibër-Lepenc” canal on November 29, 2024.

While Kosovo’s institutions have published detailed information regarding the suspected terrorist activity and espionage of the defendants, RT Balkan has reported on the case in a clearly tendentious manner.

In its article, RT Balkan opens with the ironic statement “of course, the Serbs are to blame,” portraying the indictment as an attempt by Kosovo authorities to attribute responsibility to Belgrade without evidence.

The outlet claims that “Pristina has tried to blame Belgrade from the beginning without any proof.”

Further, RT Balkan suggests that Serbia had “no interest” in disrupting the water supply to the northern municipalities, where Serbs constitute the majority population.

The article also refers to early statements by U.S. officials, stating that “there was no evidence linking Belgrade to the explosion” and that “it was too early to draw conclusions,” using this narrative to downplay the later investigation findings.

Moreover, RT Balkan portrays the actions of the Kosovo Police after the explosion as ethnically motivated, alleging that the police “raided several Serb villages in Zubin Potok, forcibly entered homes, and arbitrarily arrested Serbs.”

According to RT Balkan’s version, 10 people were arrested, including brothers Dragisha and Jovan Vićentijević, adding that eight were released while the Vićentijević brothers “remain in custody.”

In contrast, the Special Prosecution of Kosovo has published extensive details on the case, including the approximate 20 kilograms of TNT, the method used to place the explosives inside the Ibër-Lepenc canal, the significant damage to the water supply and energy infrastructure, as well as strong suspicions of espionage on behalf of the Serbian Military Intelligence Service.

According to the prosecution, J.V., D.V., and I.D. are charged with the criminal offenses of “endangering the constitutional order by destroying or damaging public installations and equipment,” “committing a terrorist act,” “unauthorized possession of weapons,” and “espionage.”

The indictment states that J.V. and D.V., together with still unidentified individuals, “after a prior agreement, placed explosives [around 20 kilograms of Trinitrotoluene ‘TNT’] inside the canal.”

“J.V. and D.V. are accused of activating the explosive device using a bag tied with a rope to a concrete pillar, as a result of which the concrete structure of the Ibër-Lepenc canal was severely damaged; the drinking water supply was interrupted; electricity production was endangered; and Ibër-Lepenc suffered material damage amounting to €376,774.70,” the media statement said.

RT Balkan’s reporting aligns with the familiar narratives promoted by certain Serbian media outlets, which attempt to minimize the charges, victimize the suspects, and delegitimize Kosovo’s institutions by using terminology such as “the so-called Kosovo police.”

This case represents yet another example of how some media in Serbia attempt to shape public opinion through one-sided narratives, regardless of the evidence and developments presented by Kosovo’s justice institutions. /TheGeopost.