Monthly Highlights March: sexism and misogyny, attacks on journalists, the spread of disinformation, bias and death threats

During March, the RDN monitoring team detected a range of hateful narratives and discourse fuelled by sexism and misogyny alongside the spread of disinformation, bias and death threats coupled with attacks on journalists.

Sexism and misogyny in Albania and Montenegro

In Albania, during a controversial interview with Revista Bordo, author Albi Lushi claimed that women rejecting men is not about personal choice but rather linked to alcohol consumption and psychological manipulation. In the interview, Lushi made insinuations that rather than the rejection of men by a woman being a personal choice, it was instead due to intoxication. Lushi made statements suggesting that intoxicated women are easier to exploit and that men should master manipulation to “win over” women, reinforcing toxic beliefs about power and control in relationships. He went on to claim that “there are no difficult women, only women who don’t drink alcohol” in other words implying that intoxicated women are easier to exploit. Furthermore, he noted that “there are no difficult women, only men who are incapable of manipulating them” as though to portray manipulation as a skill men should master to make women fall for them. Lushi made the conclusion that men can either be rich or skilled at psychological manipulation thereby reinforcing the toxic belief that relationships are about power and control, and not mutual respect and equality.

Lushi’s comments and remarks, made during the interview, serve to dismiss women’s autonomy, trivialise consent, and normalise coercion. These comments, rooted in misogyny and sexism serve to degrade women to objects of manipulations rather than individuals with their own autonomy and power to make decisions for themselves. Comments like these which suggest that alcohol more ‘accessible’ implies coercion and removes consent which can fall down the dangerous path of normalising sexual violence and risks even justifying such acts. Promoting manipulation as a legitimate method for men to control women in relationships is a reflection of the toxic masculine culture which is maintained in society and goes unchallenged.

Following the interview, backlash on social media was both swift and intense, with users condemning his misogynistic and predatory views. Many criticised the journalist for providing him with a platform, while others emphasised the role of the media in confronting toxic masculinity and fostering ethical discussions on gender dynamics. Nonetheless, the core issue remains: the journalist should not have allowed such misogynistic and harmful rhetoric to be aired. Instead, he should have actively challenged these toxic beliefs and debunked the narratives in real time.

In Montenegro Independent MP Jevrosima Pejović announced on March 8 that she had submitted an initiative to introduce menstrual leave. The initiative aimed to help women diagnosed with ‘secondary dysmenorrhea,’ such as endometriosis, polyps, fibroids, cervical stenosis, etc. These women would be entitled to two days of paid leave per month due to extremely painful cycles.

On social media, however, the initiative triggered a wave of alarmingly negative and misogynistic comments—from both men and women. The comments regarding the proposed law were based as much on misinformation as on a widespread misogynistic culture. Many commenters defended traditional gender roles, suggesting that women should simply endure hardship. Others misrepresented the proposed law, falsely claiming it was an unjust attempt to give women seven days off work. In reality, the law applies only to individuals with serious medical diagnoses and grants up to two days of leave to help them manage their health. Furthermore, some argued that the initiative does not even exist in the European Union, while in reality, Spain adopted the same legal measure about two years ago. Based on these assumptions, the comments ranged from minimising women’s pain to accusing them of causing their health problems through the way they dress.

Sexism and misogyny have no place in any space—online or offline. Social media platforms must take responsibility and actively address instances of hate and gender-based discrimination on their platform.

Attacks on journalists in Kosovo and Bosnia and Herzegovina

In Kosovo, Sami Kurteshi, a member of the Central Election Commission from the Vetëvendosje party and former Ombudsperson, spent days at the Vote Counting Center, frequently suggesting whether certain ballots should be considered valid or not. Journalists have repeatedly recorded his inappropriate behavior towards election commissioners and observers.

During a recount of ballots previously deemed invalid, Kurteshi verbally attacked a journalist from Gazeta Nacionale after noticing she was closely following his actions at the centre, which irritated him. When the journalist asked if he considered himself to be exerting continuous pressure, Kurteshi responded, “You are the criminal media of paid killers.” He later repeated this claim and even referred to the media as “dog media.”

The “Self-Determination” (Vetëvendosje) party began attacking the media even before the February 9 parliamentary elections, accusing critical outlets of being funded by oligarchs and serving private, not public, interests. This continued after the elections, with the party and its leader, Albin Kurti, refusing to engage with major media during the campaign and aiming to bring the press under their control to avoid criticism.

Kurteshi’s hate speech incident was condemned by the Kosovo Journalists’ Association and the Kosovo Women Journalists’ Network, along with many media professionals and civil society members. Kurteshi later responded on his Facebook page, once again using hateful language against these organizations.

The Safe Journalists organisation reacted to his statements, urging relevant institutions to take measures to protect journalists and uphold media freedom. In his posts, Kurteshi labelled the Kosovo Journalists’ Association and the Kosovo Women Journalists’ Network as an “alliance of criminal groups.” Safe Journalists called on the state prosecutor to investigate Kurteshi’s remarks and urged the ruling party and Prime Minister Albin Kurti to distance themselves from his dangerous rhetoric and publicly condemn it.

In Bosnia and Herzegovina, following a press conference where the President of the Republika Srpska entity, Milorad Dodik, the Prime Minister of RS, Radovan Višković, and the President of the RS National Assembly, Nenad Stevandić, spoke — and after the Prosecutor’s Office of BiH issued a warrant for their questioning earlier that morning — journalists proceeded to ask questions. Dodik called the CIN reporter’s question “politically motivated” and lashed out at her. He told the Klix reporter that he was asking stupid questions. He did not even allow an Oslobodjenje correspondent to ask a question and banned him from entering the RS Presidential Palace.

Dodik has been attacking the media and journalists for years, and recently they have become even more frequent. Since February, he has verbally attacked several journalists and media outlets. The Association of BH Journalists often responds to his attacks against journalists, stating that he is “drawing targets on their foreheads.”

In February, a reporter from the Center for Investigative Reporting (CIN.ba), Renata Radić-Dragić, and cameraman Dženat Dreković were attacked while filming a news story in Brčko. They were investigating politician and businessman Zoran Kokanović, who owns various residential, commercial, and betting properties in the area. During the assignment, members of the Bogičević family—who claimed ownership of the building housing the betting shop being filmed—assaulted the journalists, despite their clear introduction and explanation that they were filming from a public space. Dreković sustained minor physical injuries, while Radić-Dragić was referred for medical testing due to the stress she experienced. CIN later reported that members of the Bogičević family were detained following the incident.

Journalists must be protected under the law and guaranteed the freedom to report without fear of harassment, threats, or personal attacks. A free and independent press is essential in any democracy.

Death threats in North Macedonia

Following the tragic bus accident near Kočani that claimed 59 lives, the “Who’s Next?” (Кој е следен?) initiative in North Macedonia sparked protests in response to persistent systemic failures. Demonstrators called for accountability from the government and institutions responsible for ensuring public safety.

In response, journalist Milenko Nedelkovski has sent serious insults and disqualifications to several participants in the protests taking place across the country. In one post, he even went as far as to call for the death of the relatives of the demonstrators who protested in Skopje. In his post he wrote: “May God grant that the deaths of the loved ones of today’s protesters may be abused by others and protest. So that they can see what it’s like,” Nedelkovski wrote at the end of the post, which immediately caused violent reactions on social media.

Milenko Nedelkovski’s framing of the “Who’s Next?” protests as destabilising the country is a common tactic used by nationalist and pro-government figures in North Macedonia to discredit citizen-led movements demanding accountability. His rhetoric aligns with previous narratives in the country where calls for justice are dismissed as foreign-influenced, opposition-driven, or attempts to create chaos rather than legitimate democratic action. Calling for the death of anyone should never be acceptable. Furthermore, social media platforms should take action to remove such content and not allow it to be circulated and spread online.

Disinformation and bias spread in Serbia

Deblokade is a YouTube channel created in March 2025, described as “the official channel of the Center for Social Stability, dedicated to the production of documentary films that analyse political, social and historical topics.”

Two documentary style videos on this YouTube channel were aired on TV Prva, a channel with the licence for national coverage. Several other shorter videos were also aired on TV Prva throughout this month.

The documentary “Vreme terora” (Time of Terror), presented a heavily biased portrayal of the student protests in Serbia, systematically vilifying the protesters, labelling them as “terrorists,” “extremists,” and “political agitators.”  It used manipulated footage, misleading historical comparisons, and interviews exclusively government representatives and their supporters to frame the protests as a dangerous and foreign-backed threat to national stability.

The documentary, furthermore, used aggressive rhetoric to delegitimise student activism, falsely depicting participants as part of a well-organised extremist movement rather than a broad, organic response to corruption and political repression. 

Protesters are not only targeted as individuals, with their names and faces shown, but are also accused of orchestrating a so-called “state coup”. The film drew direct parallels between the Serbian protests and historical uprisings like the Ukrainian Maidan and the French Revolution. It invoked the fear of violent upheaval as a means to discredit the movement and intimidates protest participants by comparing their fate to that of Maximilien Robespierre, who was executed by guillotine without trial.

Another documentary, “Zlo doba” (Time of Evil) was aired on TV Prva as well, targeting media outlets that have been reporting on student blockades and protests for months, providing space for the voices of those who are critical of the ruling party. The title is a reference to a series of documentaries by TV N1 called “Junaci doba zlog” (Heroes of the time of evil) where each episode gives a profile of people connected to the ruling party focusing on their involvement in unethical and criminal activities.

In a democratic society, everyone should have the freedom to protest and express disagreement with the system without fear of intimidation or reprisal. This right is fundamental, especially for students and young people who play a vital role in shaping the future. At the same time, TV programs with licenses for national coverage have a responsibility to uphold journalistic standards. They should not be platforms for propaganda, bias, or disinformation—especially when such content puts students, citizens and journalists at risk or vilifies them for exercising their democratic rights.