The International Press Institute (IPI), a global network of editors, publishers and leading journalists, today welcomed news that police in Slovaka have detained eight people in connection with the February murder of journalist Ján Kuciak and his fiancée, Martina Kušnírová.
However, IPI Deputy Director Scott Griffen emphaized that justice would only served when all those involved in the crime were behind bars.
“Any progress toward solving the horrific murders of Ján Kuciak and Martina Kušnírová is welcome news”, he said. “But it is essential that investigators apprehend not only those who pulled the trigger but also the masterminds. We will not rest until that is the case.”
The Kuciak family’s lawyer, Daniel Lipšic, a former Slovak justice minister, echoed that view in an interview with IPI.
“Of course (today) is a very important step, but it’s not over until we get the people who organized this horrific crime”, he said.
Kuciak and Kušnírová were gunned down in their home in the town of Veľká Mača on February 20 this year. Kuciak, an investigative journalist with the news website Aktuality.sk, had been covering high-level corruption cases, including links between the Italian ‘Ndrangheta crime syndicate and top Slovak politicians. The killing triggered an upheaval in Slovak society, forcing out former Prime Minister Robert Fico.