Slovak police returned Czech journalist’s cell phone

Slovak police have returned to Czech investigative journalist Pavla Holcová the mobile phone that they confiscated in mid-May during the investigation into the murder of her colleague Ján Kuciak. She made this announcement on her Facebook page. Holcová worked with Kuciak on many articles including his last one about Italian mafia operating in Slovakia. She approached Slovak investigators voluntarily and they confiscated her cell phone with data on other sensitive cases, which are not related to Kuciak. This triggered a wave of protests. In May publishers and editors-in chief of Slovakia's mainstream print, TV and online media issued a common statement criticising police behaviour in Holcová's case, writing that journalists have the duty to protect their sources. On Tuesday the general prosecutor's office stated that investigators did not break any encryption on the phone and did not use any data in an unlawful way.