The threat of violent extremism to Kosovo is no longer linked to the war fronts in the Middle East, but to the online world.
There, through social networks and anonymous profiles, radical ideologies are finding new ways to spread.
Recent cases pursued by the Special Prosecution Office show that propaganda inspired by the militant group, the Islamic State (ISIS), still maintains its influence on some layers of society.
The question that arises is: is Kosovo prepared for this version of the threat?
The country's Special Prosecution Office ensures that it cooperates closely with the police, as well as other local and international security institutions, in investigating such cases.
"Currently, there are two cases in progress. Meanwhile, from the beginning of 2025 until this period, two indictments have been filed against two people for the criminal offense: inciting discord and intolerance, through ideological propaganda and support for ISIS," the Special Prosecution Office said in a response to Radio Free Europe.
According to a statement from this institution, on August 14, these two defendants used the social network, Facebook, to publish photos and videos of radicalized individuals, to distribute materials with inflammatory content, and to call for religious extremism.
Also last month, SC was sentenced to 6 months in prison for inciting discord and intolerance.
Under the Criminal Code of Kosovo, this offense is punishable by a fine or imprisonment of up to five years.
From religion to ultranationalism
Adrian Shtuni, a foreign policy and security expert from the International Counterterrorism Center, says that Kosovo faces two dangerous forms of extremism, which feed online: one religiously based and the other ultranationalist, supremacist and separatist.
He says the former is more visible and is addressed more in public debate, while the ultranationalist one is often presented as "ardent patriotism."
"Kosovo is quite vulnerable, due to increased political tensions and social polarization that has also manifested itself in interethnic clashes," Shtuni tells Radio Free Europe.
Skënder Perteshi from the Institute for Security and Resilience "Prevent" also agrees, saying that religiously-tinged radicalism remains among the most worrying forms of extremism in Kosovo, followed by ethno-nationalist extremism.
He explains to Radio Free Europe that social networks have become the main means of distributing propaganda, where extremist individuals and groups hide their activity under the guise of religion and mainly target young people.
"There are several closed groups, where certain individuals distribute messages with radical religious content, while some are people who call themselves imams and do not live in Kosovo, but through the internet they make religious propaganda with a significant impact," says Perteshi.
Their goal, according to him, is to undermine the democratic system and citizens' trust in Western values and international allies.
The Islamic Community of Kosovo emphasizes that teachings distributed on online platforms often interpret doctrines with a rigid approach, and offer explanations that not only misinform Muslim believers, but also fuel radicalism.
"Those who act like this give themselves the right to interpret everything, without taking into account the temporal, cultural, traditional and doctrinal context of the country where they live," Ahmet Sadriu, secretary general of the Presidency of the Islamic Community of Kosovo, tells Radio Free Europe.
"The possibility of being indoctrinated is real and as such is a concern for all of us," he emphasizes.
Who is hiding behind these propagandists?
Shtuni says that identifying the authors of extremist propaganda online is not simple.
According to him, they operate at different levels: some are globally known, some regionally, and some locally.
Many of them say they exploit the anonymity offered by the internet, making it difficult to properly distinguish the groups or individuals who fund their activities.
He explains that, while some groups openly distribute Islamic State propaganda in Albanian to radicalize their audiences, others engage in fomenting interethnic divisions and conflicts.
"For example, countries like Russia (but also other non-Mike countries) have sophisticated disinformation propaganda platforms aimed at interethnic polarization in Kosovo and the Balkans, which have intensified their work since the beginning of the war in Ukraine in 2022," says Shtuni.
Luke Baumgartner, a researcher at the George Washington University Program on Extremism, says that many studies have been done on the demographic background of extremists and terrorists – from the far right to the far left.
However, there is no single profile – "what is seen most often is that they are young males."
"Online extremists are usually young men who feel insecure and limited by social and economic opportunities," Baumgartner tells Radio Free Europe.
He adds that the threat from them is always present, but all it takes is a 'spark' from a global event – like the war in Gaza – to escalate the impact.
The report mentions worrying new tactics by extremist groups, which use artificial intelligence (AI) to create texts, images and videos, in order to reach new audiences.
Who is being targeted and through which platforms?
From studies conducted by the "Prevent" institute, Perteshi says that the most targeted age groups in Kosovo are teenagers and young people up to 26 years old.
A similar situation is observed globally, says Baumgartner.
He also singles out the most vulnerable categories, such as young people with mental health problems or LGBTQ communities, who he says are more easily manipulated and turn into potential abusers.
"Basically, any person who feels excluded or isolated from the society around them is more likely to become a victim," says Baumgartner.
The platforms most used to spread extremist propaganda are social networks, such as Facebook, TikTok, Telegram, and others.
"These platforms, especially those that also offer communication through encrypted messages, are also used for planning and coordinating illegal actions and financing various activities by violent extremist groups," explains Shtuni.
Is Kosovo prepared to face this threat?
Experts warn that the challenge is not only security, but also social.
To combat online radicalism, Kosovo, according to them, needs to strengthen the protection of young people against propaganda, increase the capacities of law enforcement institutions, and invest more in civic and digital education.
"Security institutions in Kosovo have information and are highly active. On a daily basis, they arrest people, shut down various social media pages, conduct analytical assessments and investigate," says Perteshi.
In 2023, Kosovo adopted the new Strategy for Preventing and Combating Terrorism, which will be valid until 2028.
The document is based on four strategic objectives: prevention, protection, prosecution and response.
But, according to Mentor Vrajolli, from the Kosovo Center for Security Studies, the authorities' focus is almost entirely on dismantling parallel Serbian structures in Kosovo.
"As a result, the issue of religiously-based violent extremism seems to have lost institutional attention," he tells Radio Free Europe, and warns that "such a diversion of attention, in the long term, could pose great danger."
"Therefore, preventive and combat measures against this phenomenon must be continuous," emphasizes Vrajolli.
Kosovars in the Syrian war
After the outbreak of the civil war in Syria in 2011, over 350 Kosovars went there, mainly to join the Islamic State.
According to the Center for Combating Terrorism at the US Military Academy at West Point, Kosovo became one of the largest sources of European jihadists relative to population.
With around 16 jihadists for every 100 inhabitants, the recruitment rate was eight times higher than that of France, the country that sent the largest number of foreign fighters to Syria and Iraq.
Until the defeat of the Islamic State in late 2017, the majority of Kosovars in Syria lived in territories controlled by the Al-Nusra group – the Syrian branch of the terrorist organization, Al-Qaeda.
It is believed that around 100 Kosovars continue to remain in the territory of Syria and Iraq, although since 2019, hundreds have returned through repatriation operations organized by the Kosovo state.
Many of them also faced justice after their return.
Which strategies are most effective?
Baumgartner says governments are often powerless to prevent online radicalization.
According to him, the main burden lies with social media platforms, which do not sufficiently regulate extremist content.
"Platforms like X have become a haven for neo-Nazis and right-wing extremists – with no intention of stricter moderation. Meta has also removed many of the security and fact-checking staff for its platforms, like Instagram or WhatsApp," says Baumgartner.
According to him, only Telegram has taken clear steps, closing channels and groups that promote terrorism or harbor terrorist organizations.
For Shtun, one of the state's most effective strategies in the face of extremist ideologies is reducing political tensions and social polarization.
"The best defense against violent extremism is to address political, social, and economic challenges in a spirit of tolerance and constructiveness," he concludes. /REL/
edition
t7 live
