Online attacks on Flurin Ametaj: Sociologist warns of increasingly frequent political harassment of women

DnevnikIndependent🔒ConservativeNov 3

Flurina Ametaj, a candidate for the City Council of Celje on the Freedom Movement (Gibanje Svoboda) list, has become the target of online attacks due to her Albanian heritage. The controversy intensified after a Kosovo-based portal published her photo and electoral number alongside a summary of her campaign platform in Albanian, which critics claim violates election laws regarding campaign materials. Both Ametaj and her party deny involvement in creating or financing this specific Albanian-language material, asserting that their official campaign was conducted exclusively in Slovenian in compliance with legal regulations. Former politician Zmago Jelinčič Plemeniti criticized the situation, alleging that the Freedom Movement ignores rules by including a candidate of Albanian nationality and distributing materials in a foreign language. He warned against foreigners taking over parts of power, a sentiment echoed by former Interior Minister Aleš Hojs, who commented on videos featuring Ametaj. A sociologist noted that such politically motivated online harassment targeting women based on origin is becoming increasingly common.

Bias read (Conservative): The article highlights comments from right-wing figures like Jelinčič and Hojs expressing xenophobic concerns, while presenting the targeted candidate's defense without balancing the initial accusations with independent verification of the alleged law violations.

RTV Slovenija (MMC)State / PublicProgressiveNov 2

The candidacy of Florina Ametaj for the Celje municipal council has sparked significant controversy and online harassment due to her Albanian heritage. As a candidate for the Freedom Movement and president of the Association of Albanian Societies, she was targeted after a Kosovo-based portal published her electoral program in Albanian, leading to accusations that she produced campaign materials in that language. Ametaj denies these claims, stating her personal profile content was exclusively in Slovenian, while local party leader Primoz Posinek asserts that neither the party nor the candidate was involved in creating or financing the foreign-language posts. The incident escalated into organized cyberbullying involving threats, prompting criticism from sociologist Gorazd Kovacic who described the attacks as organized violence. The Institute March 8 publicly supported Ametaj, emphasizing that individuals should not face attacks based on their origin.

Bias read (Progressive): The article frames the online attacks as 'organized violence' and includes supportive commentary from a sociologist and a progressive institute, highlighting the victimization aspect rather than focusing solely on legal eligibility debates.