Anonymous Facebook and Instagram pages called "Zall Gjoçaj" and recently opened, have begun publishing a series of materials that aim to discredit Dhimitër Kolec and Jorgj Locaj, activists from Zall-Gjoçaj and the village of Lufaj known for opposing the hydroelectric power plant projects of the company "Seka Hydropower".
The pages were activated on February 2 and 5, 2026, and have so far published at least three edited videos, which take part in interviews and posts by Kolec and Locaj and are accompanied by captions and "counter-arguments", which aim to portray activists as "fraudster" and "fines".
Despite the Facebook page (link) has only four followers and she has none on Instagram (link), the videos have reached viewership of between 9 and 30 views, which suggests that the people behind this lynching may have sponsored the content (at least the videos on Facebook) to spread it more widely online.
In the comments, skeptical reactions are observed from citizens seeking explanations for the motives of the publications.
Citizens.al noticed that the “Zall-Gjoçaj” page closely interacted with two other anonymous pages: “Bukuritë Zall-Gjoçaj” (link) and “Alisa Interact” (link).
The first shared the same videos, while the second had no posts, but seemed to serve as a supportive profile in comments and responses to citizens.
These pages lack transparency about their administrators or purpose, while the structure of interaction suggests a coordinated effort to lynch the activists in question.
“Pressure to silence us”
When asked by Citizens.al, Dhimitër Koleci suspected that the company "Seka Hydropower", or people associated with it, could be behind the attacks. The company in question built the hydroelectric power plant in Zall-Gjoçaj.
"They come up with fake profiles, they change them from time to time, sometimes they show the beauties of Zall-Gjocaj, sometimes a different name, we don't know who they are," said Koleci, “"It is open pressure to harm us as activists."
Citizens.al contacted the administrator of "Seka Hydropower", Bardhyl Muçeku, to ask if he was aware of the situation, but he denied any such thing, stating that he was against this lynching campaign.
On the other hand, Koleci stressed that there was nothing personal with the leaders or people behind the "Seka Hydropower" company, and this entire campaign is happening with the aim of damaging his public image and demoralizing the community that has opposed the hydropower plants.
"This is no longer just a personal problem. I have a family and a reputation in society," he added.
Activists engaged in the defense of Zall-Gjoçaj told Citizens.al that the attacks on social networks began immediately after the decision of the Lezha Court, which on January 28 dismissed the criminal case for defamation and insult, filed by "Seka Hydropower" against Dhimitër Kolec, Jorgji Locaj and Adem Xhokola, all three residents of the area.
According to activists, this development marked a shift in pressure from the court to social media.
"Following the decision, a Facebook page was activated, publishing repeated materials, videos, photographs and writings, publicly accusing the activists of fraud and slander," Zall-Gjoçaj activists told Citizens.al.
The company's lawsuit concerned public statements made by three residents during protests, where they raised concerns about the impact of hydropower plants on the Flim and Uraka rivers.
After reviewing the lynching campaign, Dhimitër Koleci and other activists from Zall-Gjoçaj filed a complaint with the Commissioner for Personal Data Protection.
The complaint concerns unlawful data processing, invasion of privacy and damage to reputation.
According to the complaint, the footage was taken out of context and selectively reused to build a discrediting narrative. The activists have demanded the deletion of the content, the identification of those responsible, and administrative measures against them.
"I will continue the battle, I will not stop, they will not achieve what they want to achieve. I am in voice, in image, they are hidden!" Koleci emphasized.
Read also:
- "Seka Hydropower" did not appear, the lawsuit against the residents of Zall-Gjoçaj is dismissed
- Zall-Gjocaj activists on trial with "Seka Hydropower": "Free speech is not a crime!"
- "Seka Hydropower" sues residents affected by hydropower plants for defamation and insult
Erisa Kryeziu has completed higher studies in Journalism and Communication and Master of Science in Public Relations at the University of Tirana. She has been a journalist and project manager at Citizens.al for five years, where she reports on social issues and human rights, especially on issues of rights at work, in education, gender equality, marginalized groups, people with disabilities such as and for environmental issues. At the same time, she works as a project coordinator with a focus on youth and media education. User of new reporting techniques such as "Mobile Journalism" and citizen engagement tools in reporting (ECR-Engage Citizens Journalism).
