Appeal over murder of Slovak journalist Jan Kuciak set for June

Slovakia’s Supreme Court would rule on an appeal on June 15 in the case of the murder of journalist Jan Kuciak, court spokeswoman Alexandra Vazanova told dpa on Thursday.

Investigative journalist Kuciak and his fiancee Martina Kusnirova, both 27, were shot dead in their home in the village of Velka Maca in February 2018.

Kuciak had been reporting on entrepreneur Marian Kocner’s business dealings, as well as other corruption allegations.

A report published only after the journalist’s death triggered mass demonstrations and led to the resignation of the government at the time.

Kocner, a millionaire, was eventually charged with orchestrating and paying for Kuciak’s murder.

In September 2020, an accomplice was convicted but Kocner and another suspected accomplice were acquitted for lack of evidence.

The verdict sparked outrage.

The confessed shooter, Miroslav Marcek, had already been convicted and sentenced to 25 years in prison in a separate trial.

Another accomplice who provided important information as a key witness was handed a 15-year sentence.