Përparim Rama, the mayor of Pristina, has announced the termination of the agreement that allowed BIRN to use public space in the Grand Hotel. According to him, the decision stems from the fact that Kallxo.com and Jeta Xharra have not provided clarification on the main issue involving the Lule Gjeli page.
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Jeta Xharra responded by saying that Kallxo.com has consistently published reports proving that Lule Gjeli’s content is false.
She described Rama’s action as retaliation against Kallxo.com following its report on the flooding of Agim Ramadani Street caused by rainfall.
Xharra said Përparim Rama had chosen to retaliate even though 13 Krypometër fact-checks—13 articles showing that the Lule Gjeli page lies—had been published. According to her, the mayor’s response came after a calm discussion on Friday about his criticism of Kallxo.com’s reporting on the rain-induced flooding of Agim Ramadani Street. She explained that the notice received from the Directorate of Property mentions neither Lule Gjeli nor the objections to Kallxo.com’s reporting, but states that the project was not implemented according to the planned schedule.
According to Xharra, investments in the Grand Hotel premises have been carried out partially and amid many difficulties. She continues to believe that Pristina needs the Reporting House museum, which has been visited by more than 23000 people, half of whom are primary and secondary school students from across Kosovo. According to her, the educational program implemented there fills the gap left by institutions in presenting the history of peaceful and armed resistance.
She emphasized that nowhere else is this history presented through hours of footage, photographs and works of art in the way Kosovo’s history has been curated at Reporting House. Xharra said it was unreasonable to punish a museum that has helped local residents and foreign visitors gain a deeper understanding of history for reasons unrelated to its work. She clarified that this part of her response concerned the House of Journalists, namely Reporting House.
Regarding Lule Gjeli, Xharra said Mayor Rama should wait until the authorities complete their work so that the person’s identity can be clarified and it can be established who has fought against the page the most. She said it had never been denied that, in 2020, Kallxo.com published an author using the pseudonym Lule Gjeli. According to her, the use of a pseudonym was justified because the person had convinced them that they would lose their job if the article were published under their real name.
Xharra added that as soon as the profile began spreading lies, they were the first to report it. As a result of these reports, she said, the profile has continually attacked them through fake news. She said the museum could not be penalized in 2026 over an article containing no lies that was published on Kallxo.com in 2020.
In conclusion, Xharra said that confronting Lule Gjeli and other similar profiles as soon as they began spreading lies could not be used as grounds for arbitrary decisions against a museum that represents everyone. She recalled that BIRN, the Municipality of Pristina, the BBC and many other partners worked to establish it, creating added value not only for the capital but for all of Kosovo, and that it now serves as an educational resource for younger generations and foreign visitors.
