Thousands of people marched in the streets of more than 50 Slovak and 20 towns around the world to mark the one-year anniversary of the murder of journalist Ján Kuciak and his fiancée Martina Kusnirova.
'We won't forget and we're not going anywhere' was the motto of a protest gathering in Bratislava, where about 30,000 people gathered in the SNP Square to commemorate the anniversary. The crowd called for an independent investigation into the murders, the resignations of Parliamentary Chair Andrej Danko (Slovak National Party/SNS) and Special Prosecutor Dusan Kovacik as well as the complete retirement from public life of Smer-SD leader Robert Fico. The protesters also blamed Most-Hid chair Bela Bugar for keeping the current governing coalition afloat and turning his back on them.
Addressing the crowds were actors, church and NGO representatives, musicians, representatives of the media as well as discontented farmers, who are holding a protest this week in Bratislava. Also delivering a speech was Jan Kuciak's father, Jozef.
He criticised the politicians of the governing coalition, claiming that the saddest revelation of all was that Jan was under surveillance by former secret service agents and had been screened in police databases. "The protests cannot cease when they discover the name of the person who ordered the hit. This is because something has shaped that individual, some environment that made him feel beyond the reach of law," he later told the media.
The mother of the assassinated Martina Kusnirova, Zlatica, was speaking to the crowd in Kosice, eastern Slovakia, along with President Andrej Kiska who praised investigators and the police for having probably caught the murderers and for the fact that, in all likelihood, we know the identity of the murderer. "Of course, all of us wish to see all these connections behind the murders revealed," claimed Kiska. Nevertheless, he pointed out that a year after the murders, the situation in Slovakia hasn't significantly changed for the better. According to Kiska, it's important to restore public trust in the state and reverse the general malaise. In order for that to happen, however, people must believe that even influential officials and powerful individuals will face investigation and prosecution, if they commit any crimes.
I'm expressing great regards to the bereaved families of the murdered journalist Jan Kuciak and his fiancée Martina Kusnirova, Parliamentary Chair Andrej Danko said on Thursday, asking that this tragedy, which happened exactly one year ago, should not be misused.
Prime Minister Peter Pellegrini stated that he hopes that the murder will stop dividing society, as he does not like to see a dispute-ridden Slovakia. He called for a peaceful commemoration of the murdered couple. Pellerini considers the murder to be an attack on one of the pillars of the young Slovak democracy, the freedom of speech.
The attack on Ján Kuciak nad Martina Kušnírová is an attack on the key values of the EU, stated the President of the European Parliament Antonio Tajani. The Council of Europe Commissioner for Human Rights Dunja Mijatovic stated that public officials in Slovakia should ensure that a favourable environment for journalists is in place and not adopt legislative measures that would interfere with media freedoms. The Council of Europe considers it to be encouraging that the investigation so far has led to the detention of four people suspected of being involved in the murders and the possible identification of the person who ordered them. "However, extra vigilance is needed in order to guarantee the independence of the investigation, especially due to numerous reports that some suspects seem to have contacts or relationships with politicians and figures in the police and prosecutor's office," said Mijatovic. On Thursday, the European Commission paid a minute of silence in honour of the murdered couple.
Jan Kuciak was an investigative journalist who worked for the news outlet Aktuality.sk. He and his girlfriend were murdered in their house at Velka Maca (Trnava region) on February 21, 2018. At least €70,000 was paid by the person who ordered the hit. Four people have been charged in connection with this case so far: Alena Zs. who allegedly paid for the murder, Tomas Sz. the alleged hitman, Miroslav M., who allegedly drove Miroslav M. to the crime scene, and Zoltan A. an alleged intermediary in the murder. All of them are being held in custody.
