As the eighth anniversary of the killings of Slovak investigative journalist Ján Kuciak and his fiancée Martina Kušnírová approaches, International Press Institute (IPI), together with its Media Freedom Rapid Response (MFRR) partners, reiterates its call for complete accountability for their murder.
With the retrial of alleged mastermind Marian Kočner, previously acquitted twice, now underway in Bratislava as of January 2026, there remains cautious optimism that everyone responsible for orchestrating and carrying out the assassination will ultimately be held to account.
On February 21, 2018, Kuciak and Kušnírová were shot dead in their home near Bratislava. Kuciak, who worked for the investigative outlet Aktuality.sk, had reported extensively on corruption and tax fraud cases linked to Kočner, as well as individuals connected to the ruling Smer-SSD party and organized crime networks.
To date, four individuals, including the gunmen and intermediaries, have been convicted and sentenced. However, Kočner, accused of ordering the killing after previously threatening Kuciak, was acquitted twice due to insufficient evidence.
On January 26, the Special Criminal Court in Bratislava reopened proceedings in Kočner’s retrial, following a May 2025 Supreme Court ruling that annulled his acquittal. A newly appointed judicial panel is now examining the case.
Eight years after the murders, Slovakia’s media landscape faces mounting challenges. The environment has become increasingly hostile, characterized by inflammatory rhetoric from political leaders, growing risks of media capture, and a steady weakening of press freedom safeguards.
Since Prime Minister Robert Fico and his populist Smer-led coalition returned to power in 2023, hostility toward journalists has escalated significantly, including physical attacks, smear campaigns, verbal intimidation, and strategic legal pressure .
As we commemorate Kuciak’s legacy. Free Press Alliance calls on Slovak authorities to protect media freedom, cease attacks and defamation against journalists, and guarantee that the press can operate independently and without fear.