Zoom Image

Candles burn in front of a photo of murdered investigative journalist Jan Kuciak and his fiancée Martina Kusnirova

Photo: Ronald Zak/ picture alliance/dpa

A special court in Slovakia has acquitted the accused millionaire Marián Kočner in the trial of an internationally acclaimed murder of a journalist. Accordingly, the entrepreneur could not be proven to have ordered the murder of journalist Ján Kuciak and his fiancée. On the other hand, co-defendant Alena Z. was sentenced to 25 years in prison.

The public prosecutor's office had demanded life sentences for the two. Kočner's conviction had generally been expected. The millionaire is currently serving a multi-year prison sentence for other offenses.

More on the subject

  • Ján Kuciak: Journalist murder trial in Slovakia reopened

  • Journalist murder in Slovakia: Ján Kuciak's murderer must go to prison for 25 years

  • Series of arrests: Police arrest Slovakia's most powerful oligarch

The public prosecutor's office had accused Kočner as the actual mastermind and Z. only as an accomplice. On the other hand, the Special Court for Organized Crime in Pezinok, east of the capital Bratislava, found the evidence against Kočner to be insufficient. On the other hand, it considered it proven that Z. organized the double murder and also planned further murders, for example of public prosecutors. These murders were not carried out because of their arrest. The verdict is not yet final.

On February 21, 2018, 27-year-old investigative journalist Ján Kuciak and his fiancée Martina Kusnirova were shot dead in their home in the village of Velka Maca. Kuciak had reported on criminal involvement of politicians and entrepreneurs.

A report published only after his death about possible links between Italian mafia clans and Slovak government employees had triggered mass demonstrations against corruption and led to the resignation of the government at the time.

In January 2020, ex-soldier Miroslav Marcek had already confessed to killing the investigative journalist and his fiancée. The Supreme Court of Slovakia sentenced Marcek to 25 years in prison.

mfh/dpa