Faton Peci announces defamation lawsuit against several local media outlets: The response to fake news will be in court

The ninth regular meeting of the Municipal Assembly was held today in South Mitrovica, with various topics on the agenda related to the functioning of the municipality and budget management.

During the session, Mayor Faton Peci also addressed reports by several local media outlets, which he called “Fake News,” announcing that he would pursue legal action against them through defamation lawsuits.

According to Peci, such publications, which he considers untrue, will have no impact on the distribution of financial resources by the municipality.

“I have authorized the cabinet to contact a director, whom I do not know and have no desire to know, who has launched a false story. Otherwise, she will face a defamation lawsuit. The fake news of the portals, I raised today at the meeting as a concern. We will confront the fake news of local media, which means with defamation lawsuits. This means they should not expect financial resources from me; it means they had zero during the campaign, they left nothing unsaid, and they will have zero for the next four years as well. Do not even raise your expectations, do not expect to have a budget, which belongs to the citizens of Mitrovica, who are in a poor economic and social condition. Every day there are 20, 50 or 500 stories; in fact, some so-called media in Mitrovica cannot seem to go without insulting me. So I encourage you to fulfill the quota that also existed during the campaign, 50 articles against me, because you apparently cannot go without insulting me. We will respond to such fake news. I know that the police system exists, as it does for many other issues, but I will respond to them. Still, I think we live in a democracy. These so-called local media have the freedom to say whatever they want about us. Even the school principal has the courage and the freedom to come out and slander. Slander is part of democracy, but then it must be sanctioned by the court. So yes, there is fake news on a daily basis. For example, yesterday there was a report about the evaporation or disappearance of around 34 thousand euros somewhere, and this is fake news and a major falsehood. So there is nothing else we can do; it may take us a little time just to sit down and write the defamation lawsuit,” said Peci.

He also stressed that for every story he considers false, his response will be made through legal mechanisms.