Original article (in Montenegrin) was published on 04/04/2022
Despite the fact that Montenegro, as a state, has sided with Ukraine, which has been the target of Russian military aggression for more than a month, a good share of the Montenegrin population still advocates pro-Russian views, including the one that serves as a justification for aggression and deals with the denazification of Ukraine. On one side are those people, and on the other are the persistent Cetinje’s citizens.
The growing narrative of “Nazi Ukraine” has led to a kind of Russophile propaganda on social media, so some users have misused a photo showing Cetinje’s residents who support Ukraine on a daily basis to substantiate allegations of Nazism in Ukraine.
“Putin, send us about 50 Chechens, we have some problems”, states the description of a post on Facebook which features a photo of Cetinje’s citizens who support Ukraine. In the photo, several of them allegedly hold flags with prominent Nazi symbols.
This post attracted a large number of reactions, mostly negative. However, the photograph itself, although it originates from Cetinje, is actually a montage.
Cetinje’s residents and the media about the debatable photo
We can be convinced of that by looking at the original copy of the photo that was published on the Facebook page of the representatives of the Group of Cetinje’s citizens, who organize daily rallies in support of Ukraine.
Some Montenegrin media shared the announcement of the Group of Cetinje’s citizens regarding the misuse of their photo.
“As it is well known to the public, because every day the Montenegrin media zealously report on rallies of support, it is a lie and a subterfuge. So far, messages of peace, love and solidarity with the Ukrainian people have been sent at the rallies, which were also reported by the world media – Al Jazeera Balkans, Balkaninsight, Le Courrier des Balkans, HRT and many others. That is why we are providing the public with a photo of the original and a photo of the works of Putin’s agents to see what threats European Montenegro is facing. Gatherings of support in Cetinje are sufficiently evidenced by the fact that these gatherings were attended by the US Ambassador to Montenegro Judy Reinke and the charge d’affaires of the Ukrainian Embassy Natalija Fialko”, states the announcement shared by the website CdM.
“A group of citizens of Cetinje, who organize daily rallies in support of Ukraine in that city, pointed to mounted photos shared on social networks, on which Nazi symbols were added”, states the publication of the website.
The Embassy of Ukraine in Montenegro confirmed that the people of Cetinje did not wear Nazi symbols and that it was a matter of photomontage and subterfuge.
“Well done to the people of Cetinje who walk every day since the beginning of this aggression of the Russian Federation against Ukraine and express their most sincere support to the Ukrainians. Putin’s agents were expected to do something against these honorable rallies. By falsifying and photoshopping a photo from the Cetinje gatherings, they added Nazi symbols to the flags of Ukraine and shared it on social networks. As it is well known to the public, because every day the Montenegrin media zealously report on rallies of support, it is a lie and a subterfuge”, said the Embassy of Ukraine and the statement was shared by the website Antena M.
What we can clearly conclude from the mentioned statements is that someone maliciously modified the original photo in order to present the rally in support of Ukraine in Cetinje as glorifying Nazi symbols.
For that reason, this Facebook post which featured the photomontage is rated as fake news.
The “fake news” rating is given to the original media report (entirely produced by the media that published it) that contains factually incorrect claims or information. Content that is assessed as fake news is created and disseminated to misinform the public, that is, to present a claim that is completely false as fact.