Original article (in Montenegrin) was published on 05/08/2022
Disinformation is harmful in itself. When someone gives you false information they lead you to a wrong conclusion or action. Still, the actual harmfulness of disinformation is reflected in its ability to change people’s lives and put them in danger, as it happened with Serbian activist Aida Corovic.
In late July, “Rebellion against the mafia“ rally was held in Novi Sad. The rally, as reported and explained by our colleagues in the Fake news Tracker, was provoked by the violent treatment of protesters against the adoption of the General Urban Development Plan, when some of the participating activists ― including Aida Corovic ― were throwing paint at the offices of the Serbian Progressive Party.
Fake news searcher cited local media reports about the protesters having removed Serbian flags from the walls of the SPP offices; Miran Pogačar, one of the protesters said these were “in safe hands“.
However, flags are often used to conceal untruths, as it turned out in the case of Aida Corovic.
A Twitter account named Aida Corovic has emerged with the following post:
“I tore apart the flag of the Republic of Serbia in Novi Sad and I will tear it apart again! It is the flag of war crimes and genocide. Serbia is not the country of Serbs only, it is the country of all citizens of Serbia and nobody will impose on us the flag that we don’t want! Autonomy for Vojvodina and Sandžak! STOP TO SERBIAN WORLD!“
Serbian tabloids, openly critical of protesters in Novi Sad, reported that Serbian flag was torn apart at the rally.
Portal Espresso published the following headline:
“THEY THROW THINGS AT SPP OFFICES AND TEAR SERBIAN FLAG APART Violent haters of Serbia created chaos in Novi Sad (VIDEO)“
Večernje novosti published this alleged tweet of Aida Corovic in an article titled as follows:
“DESTROY EVERYTING SERBIAN: This tweet describes Aida’s action at the rally in Novi Sad”
Naturally, Informer jumps in by sharing the same tweet and adding the following:
“STOP TO SERBIAN WORLD – Aida Corovic brags about TEARING SERBIAN FLAG APART while inciting to SEPARATISM! According to the law, she could even go to PRISON!
NSuživo portal published a similar article.
Action against activist Aida Corovic continued on social media with numerous users sharing this tweet.
Aida Ćorović celebrates Republic of Serbia’s flag being taken down and thrown away in Novi Sad.
AIDA COROVIC AND HER GREAT SHAME …
I ask again whether Aida Corovic has been arrested and why not?! She hasn’t because they all belong to the same team of A and DŽS puppets ”opposition” and ruling parties!
Aida Corovic was tearing apart Serbian flag in Novi Sad. This old bag has hated Serbia for a long time and advocates separation of Raška from Serbia, because she believes Serbia committed another genocide against Muslims there. Old bag has gone nuts and can’t stand living in Serbia! She should go to Sarajevo if she has a problem with Serbian flag!
These are just some of the examples of how this activist was targeted for allegedly having torn apart the Serbian flag; for this, she has been exposed to avalanche of insults, including even death threats.
Still, as explained by Aida Corovic , the tweet about her “admitting“ to have torn apart the flag is a fake one, just like the account with her name.
“I did not even see, let alone tear apart, the flag of Serbia in Novi Sad at the “Rebellion against the mafia” rally, she said for “Danas“ newspaper.
Koraci Society explains this is a fake Tweeter account.
“Since Friday, when the content from a fake Tweeter account named Aida Corovic was disseminated through social media about the ‘Rebellion against the mafia’ rally held in Novi Sad, orchestrated hate speech has shown no signs of subsiding. This fake post includes Aida’s alleged confession of tearing apart Serbian flag at the rally, her desire to do it again and her wish for Vojvodina and Sandžak to be autonomous, while saying Stop to the Serbian world! The fake tweet that appeared also in tabloids and on rightist portals has initiated an avalanche of insults, hatred and direct death threats against Aida Corovic”, reads the press release of Koraci Society.
Reputable Serbian photographer Dragoljub Zamurović, who was at the scene, uses photos to debunk the allegations about Serbian flag having been torn apart at the rally.
Novi Sad – 28 July 2022. Given that primitive individuals close to the governing party told lies about someone (Aida Corovic) having torn apart the Serbian flag at the “Rebellion against the mafia” rally held on 28 July 2022 in Novi Sad, I am posting this photo that I made when one of the protesters took down the flag to save it from accidentally getting damaged by the paint that protesters were throwing at the window of their “favourite” sect and its leaders. Liar, liar, pants on fire“, Zamurović explained.
Following received threats and insults, Corović said she was consulting a lawyer and planning to file reports.
Given that Aida Corovic, or any other participant of the Novi Sad rally, clearly did not tear apart the Serbian flag, our assessment is that the reporting having resulted in this activist being exposed to death threats are fake news.
“Fake news” assessment is given to original media coverage (fully produced by the media outlet that published it) containing factually wrong allegations or information. The content assessed as fake news can be reliably determined to have been created and disseminated to disinform the public, i.e. present completely false information as a fact.