Allegations promoted by various influencers linking a Facebook troll profile and KALLXO.com were used to fuel a campaign of misinformation and defamatory attacks against KALLXO, its editorial staff, and its fact-checking work.

The campaign seeks to undermine KALLXO’s credibility because of its efforts to expose disinformation, like coordinated pro-Kremlin narratives circulating in the Albanian-language information space.

Given the seriousness of these defamatory allegations and the harm caused to its reputation and staff, KALLXO has notified that they will pursue all available legal remedies. 

Below you will find KALLXO.com’s reaction to the “Lule Gjeli” Facebook profile:

Dear readers,

Because of our work identifying funding sources and Russian disinformation networks, we have consistently been the target of organised attacks aimed at undermining our work and damaging our credibility.

The social media page Lule Gjeli, which the KALLXO.com fact-checking platform, Krypometër, has identified more than ten times as a source of false information, has no connection to KALLXO or our editorial work.

On March 25, 2026, the page published a defamatory post containing extreme hate speech directed at Faik Ispahiu, Editor-in-Chief of KALLXO.com and Director of Internews Kosova, falsely claiming that he is “a loyal citizen of Serbia.”

This post by Lule Gjeli, along with its proxies, who use every political and digital method available to attack us, is part of a coordinated campaign against fact-checkers.

Several social media “influencers,” whom our investigations have identified as owners of platforms spreading coordinated Russian disinformation in Albanian, continue to spread falsehoods about our work. Their latest defamatory claims revolve around the Facebook profile Lule Gjeli and our relationship with it.

The latest accusations focus on the Facebook profile Lule Gjeli and falsely attempt to portray a connection between that profile and KALLXO.

In 2020, KALLXO.com published an opinion article titled “The Hidden Model That May Be on the Kosovo–Serbia Negotiation Table.” under that pseudonym.  This opinion piece, published in 2020, contained no factual inaccuracies. It was edited by our editorial team and published in our opinion section.

The article was published before the Facebook profile “Lule Gjeli” began spreading disinformation.

At the time of publication, there was no indication that the pseudonym used for the opinion article would later become associated with a Facebook account that shares false information.

Our newsroom has repeatedly investigated and exposed its false claims. To date, Krypometër has published at least twelve fact-checks demonstrating that the page spread misinformation, including false claims concerning:

-The false quote attributed to Viola von Cramon.

-Lawyer Luka Misetic did not say that Hashim Thaçi worked for the French intelligence service.

-Avdullah Hoti has not died.

-The false claim regarding promises allegedly made to LDK, PDK, and AAK.

-Hykmete Bajrami did not say that “the war in Iran is not happening.”

-The false claim that Hamza spoke about Ujman, Radoicic, and his boat.

-The false post regarding suspects in the attack on Gazmend Muhaxheri.

-Ariana Musliu Shoshi did not say that they would remove the police from the north and restore the Serbian dinar.

-Bedri Hamza did not speak about reaching a coalition agreement with the Srpska Lista.

-Srpska Lista did not approve integrating healthcare and education into Kosovo’s state system.

-Prime Minister Edi Rama did not say he would support Serbia at Euro 2024.

-The false statement attributed to Besian Mustafa regarding the presidency.

As a result of these investigations, Meta labeled multiple posts from the page as false.

The Facebook profile Lule Gjeli has repeatedly attempted to intimidate our newsroom by demanding that we stop our fact-checking work.

The account has also spread false information about KALLXO’s founders; published defamatory content targeting our staff, and issued direct threats through Meta platforms.

Our position is clear: the page “Lule Gjeli” began spreading fake news after the opinion article under the pseudonym Lule Gjeli had already been published on KALLXO.com. It was our newsroom that later exposed the same page for publishing false information.

As a result of our investigations, Lule Gjeli’s posts were labeled as false on META’s social media platforms.

Several Facebook influencers, without conducting basic verification, have launched a campaign against KALLXO.com. These defamatory claims, like many others before them, will ultimately be addressed in court.

It is evident that the influencers attacking us are attempting to damage our reputation because we have documented cases showing that the platforms they manage have spread Kremlin disinformation.

To date, these “influencers” have never explained why they republish Kremlin statements without editing them, as documented in the report Mapping Disinformation, nor why they selectively edit articles from international media while promoting only Kremlin narratives.

At the same time, in response to the Mayor of Prishtina, Përparim Rama, and for the sake of accuracy, we once again answer the questions he raised in one of his Facebook posts:

Who is the author using the pseudonym “Lule Gjeli”?

Answer: The identity of the author who used the pseudonym “Lule Gjeli” is known to us. The author requested that the opinion article submitted to us be published under a pseudonym. There have been other, though very rare, instances where KALLXO.com has published content under a pseudonym. In this case, it was the editorial team’s decision to publish the article, which had been submitted by email, in the Opinion section on August 27, 2020, under a pseudonym after editorial review. However, we do not know who operates the Facebook profile “Lule Gjeli.”

We reiterate that this opinion article was published before the Facebook profile Lule Gjeli began posting fake news. No payment or compensation of any kind was associated with this publication.

What other cooperation did you have with Lule Gjeli?

Answer: Apart from publishing the opinion article, there was no other cooperation with either the author of the opinion or the Facebook profile Lule Gjeli. We do not consider labeling the Facebook profile’s posts as false to be cooperation, especially since we have repeatedly been attacked precisely because of our work in identifying those posts as false.

During what period did this cooperation take place? How long did it last? Was the author paid, and if so, from what funds?

Answer: The opinion article was published on August 27, 2020. The author was neither paid nor paid KALLXO.com in any way, at any time, or by any means for its publication. The editorial work on the opinion article was covered using KALLXO.com’s own funds.

Was any politician involved in discussions concerning the publication of Lule Gjeli’s pro-government opinions?

Answer: No. No. KALLXO.com has never been and is not a publisher of pro-government material. This was true during the governments led by AAK, LDK, PDK, and LVV alike. It may be difficult for some to understand or accept, but KALLXO.com’s work is not guided by political preferences but by public, transparent editorial standards and values. It is not determined simply by whoever happens to be paying people this week or the next.

Will you apologise to the hundreds of victims, including myself, who were harmed by the Lule Gjeli profile?

Answer: No. No. We do not consider ourselves responsible for either the actions of the opinion piece’s author or the later Facebook posts made by Lule Gjeli. Nor do we apologise for publishing yesterday’s article, New Asphalt, Old Problems. Even if Mayor Përparim Rama considers that article to be “pro-government” or “anti-Përparim Rama,” or believes KALLXO.com should avoid covering issues reported to our newsroom because he has supported some BIRN projects, we remind both Mr. Rama and the public that KALLXO.com reports according to the highest professional standards, without political bias or preference, and solely in the public interest.

Finally, we wish to clarify that our team will file complaints before the competent court regarding all defamatory statements made in connection with this case.

In accordance with our editorial principles, we will continue to respect the request that the opinion piece remain published under a pseudonym. However, if necessary, we are fully prepared to cooperate with the competent authorities, not with other “Lule Gjeli” accounts or those who fall under their influence.