“Despite the fact that six years have passed, we still hear threats against journalists, attacks on civil society, we hear words about a heavy-handed government. Immediately after the murder, society made clear its desire to live in a decent and just Slovakia, this desire is still relevant today.” Čaputová told journalists after laying a bouquet and lighting a candle at the monument to the murdered couple in the center of Bratislava.
Minister of Justice Boris Susko, who is a member of Ficova of the Smér-social democracy (Smér-SD) party, claimed in front of journalists that the murder was used for political purposes.
The murder of Kuciak and Kušnírová in 2018 resulted in massive anti-government demonstrations and a political crisis. In order to solve it, Fico resigned as prime minister. His Smér-SD party then remained in power until the regular parliamentary elections in 2020, which ended with its defeat and departure to the opposition. Last year Směr-SD won early elections and Fico became prime minister for the fourth time.
The civic initiative for a decent Slovakia, which organized anti-government demonstrations after Kuciak’s murder, has called a memorial assembly for this afternoon to around four dozen cities in Slovakia and abroad, including the Czech Republic.
Kuciak’s father’s warning
“The arrogance of this state power knows no bounds. They are no longer just hidden threats, they are threatening directly,” said Kuciak’s father in a speech at a memorial gathering in Bratislava, where he came together with his wife and the mother of the shot Kušnírová. The crowd greeted them with applause, people chanted slogans against Fico and again applauded journalists or actors who also appeared on stage and criticized Fico.
The newspaper Denník N, citing the organizers, wrote that 6,000 to 7,000 people gathered in Bratislava. This means lower participation than in previous anti-government demonstrations, which was repeatedly called by the opposition against the changes in the criminal law, which the parliament then approved two weeks ago.
“The murder that happened six years ago will forever remain a tragic moment in Slovak history. Today we again see increasing attacks on journalists, their bullying, the use of hateful and offensive language,” declared the chairman of the strongest opposition movement Progressive Slovakia, Michal Šimečka.
In connection with the anniversary of Kuciak’s murder, the editors-in-chief of almost two dozen media outlets criticized Fico in a joint statement. “He hasn’t learned his lesson in the six years since the murder. On the contrary. It’s still hardening. He describes uncomfortable journalists as enemies of the state. He refuses to answer their questions and favors disinformation,” representatives of the press and other media wrote. According to them, Fico did not order Kuciak’s murder, but he is politically responsible for the environment in which someone thought he could get away with murdering the journalist.
Last year, in a new trial, the court of first instance in Slovakia again acquitted Marian Kočner of ordering Kuciak’s murder, on the contrary, found Kočner’s acquaintance Alena Zsuzsová guilty of arranging this crime. The verdict is not final, the case is being re-examined by the Slovak Supreme Court, which in 2021 overturned the acquittal verdict of the lower court against Kočner and Zsuzsová.
