Slovakia: the alleged sponsors of the murder of Jan Kuciak will be retried
Defendant Marian Kocner arrives at the Supreme Court in Bratislava, Slovakia on Tuesday, June 15, 2021. AP - Jaroslav Novák
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The Slovak Supreme Court on Tuesday invalidated the acquittal pronounced last September in favor of the alleged sponsors of the assassination of investigative journalist Jan Kuciak and his fiancée.
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For the Supreme Court, the special criminal court which tried the two defendants made several errors during the trial. In particular, he did not thoroughly examine all the evidence provided. She therefore quashed the judgment and referred the case to a lower court.
Businessman
Marian Kocner
, a well-known Slovak mafia figure, denies his role in this double murder
.
But according to the prosecution, it was he who ordered the disappearance of the investigative journalist in revenge for articles written by Jan Kuciak. And his partner, Alena Zsuzsova, would have helped him in the preparation of this crime. The Attorney General therefore welcomed this decision, saying that it marks "
an important moment for justice and the rule of law
".
Also greeted with relief by the families of the victims and the defense organization of journalists Reporters Without Borders (RSF), the decision was also applauded by the Slovak president.
Zuzana Caputova believes that those close to Jan Kuciak and Martina Kusnirova "
are taking another step closer to justice
".
But the head of state considers above all that the Supreme Court "
has taken a very important step to restore confidence in the judiciary
".
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Also to listen: Two years after the assassination of Jan Kuciak, Slovakia's thirst for integrity
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