Ahead of the eighth anniversary of the murder of Slovak investigative journalist Ján Kuciak and his fiancée, Martina Kušnírová, IPI is joined by the undersigned partner organisations of the Media Freedom Rapid Response (MFRR) in renewing our call for full justice for their brutal killing.
With the new retrial of the twice-acquitted but alleged mastermind Marian Kočner now again underway in Bratislava as of January 2026, hope remains that all those responsible for ordering and carrying out this assassination will eventually face justice for their crimes.
On 21 February 2018, Kuciak and Kušnírová were fatally shot at their home outside Bratislava. Kuciak, a reporter for the investigative outlet Aktuality.sk, was known for exposing corruption and tax fraud schemes involving businessman Kočner and prominent figures linked to the ruling Smer-SSD party and organised crime networks.
Four people have so far been convicted and sentenced for the murders, including the hitmen and intermediaries. However, Kočner, who was accused of masterminding the crime after threatening Kuciak, has twice been acquitted due to a lack of conclusive evidence.
On January 26, the Special Criminal Court in Bratislava began deliberations in the retrial of Kočner. These new proceedings follow the Supreme Court’s decision to overturn Kočner’s acquittal in May 2025. The case is being heard by a newly constituted court panel.
Eight years after the brutal assassination of Ján Kuciak and Martina Kušnírová, the media environment in Slovakia is under clear pressure, marked by dangerous rhetoric against the press by governing politicians, advancing media capture and the steady erosion of media freedom.
Since the re-election of Prime Minister Robert Fico and the ruling coalition led by his populist Smer party in 2023, attacks on journalists have significantly intensified, including physical assaults, smear campaigns, verbal abuse and legal harassment.
As we honour the memory of Kuciak, our organisations urge the Slovak government to uphold media freedom, end all forms of harassment and smear campaigns against journalists, and ensure that the press can carry out its watchdog role without fear of reprisal.
Our organisations will continue to closely monitor the ongoing retrial and plan to attend the verdict. Until then, we remain committed to advocating for justice for Ján and Martina until full justice is achieved, as in every instance where journalists’ safety is at risk or compromised.
Signed:
International Press Institute (IPI)
Osservatorio Balcani Caucaso Transeuropa (OBCT)
European Federation of Journalists (EFJ)
European Centre for Press and Media Freedom (ECPMF)
ARTICLE 19 Europe
Free Press Unlimited (FPU)
This statement by IPI is part of the Media Freedom Rapid Response (MFRR), a Europe-wide mechanism which tracks, monitors and responds to violations of press and media freedom in EU Member States and Candidate Countries.
