Today Jan Kuciak was murdered again

The European and International Federations of Journalists (EFJ and IFJ) il 3 Settembre 2020. Giustizia, Informazione, Internazionale

Jan Kuciak has been murdered again. Thursday’s verdict in the trial of the killers of Jan Kuciak and his fiancée Martina Kušnírová is like a new death sentence for the Slovak journalist.

The European and International Federations of Journalists (EFJ and IFJ) denounce a decision that perpetuates impunity and call on the Slovak judiciary to re-examine the case.

“This verdict is terribly shocking,” said EFJ General Secretary Ricardo Gutiérrez. “Three thugs have been convicted and it is now certain that Jan Kuciak was indeed murdered for his journalistic activity. But the person or persons who ordered the killing remain unpunished. Justice has not been done.”

“Marian Kočner, who is suspected of having orchestrated the murder of Jan Kuciak and his fiancée Martina Kušnírová, has established links with organised crime and the ruling Social Democratic Party in Slovakia,” added the IFJ General Secretary Anthony Bellanger. “The IFJ and EFJ call on the Slovakian authorities to take all necessary measures to expose possible safeguards and end the impunity perpetuated by this shocking and disappointing verdict.”

Beyond the injustice done to the victims and their families, impunity cases give rise to a suspicion of official collusion in, or tolerance of, unlawful acts and undermines public confidence in the rule of law. The IFJ and EFJ call again on the States to do their utmost to end impunity for the killers of journalists.

Ján Kuciak and Martina Kušnírová deserve full justice https://t.co/NzOA4uxAdZ

— Matthew Caruana Galizia (@mcaruanagalizia) September 3, 2020

In addition to Jan Kuciak’s case, there are still 35 cases of murdered or missing journalists in Europe for which the perpetrators have not yet been identified:

Daphne CARUANA GALIZIA – Malta – 2017
Saaed KARIMIAN – Turkey – 2017
Pavel SHEREMET – Ukraine – 2016
Rohat AKTAŞ – Turkey – 2016
Naji JERF – Turkey – 2015
Timur KUASHEV – Russian Federation – 2014
Andrea ROCCHELLI and Andrei MIRONOV – Ukraine – 2014
Viacheslav VEREMII – Ukraine – 2014
Oleksandr KUCHYNSK – Ukraine – 2014
Mikhail BEKETOV – Russian Federation – 2013
Akhmednabi AKHMEDNABIYEV – Russian Federation – 2013
Nikolai POTAPOV – Russian Federation – 2013
Rafiq TAGI – Azerbaijan – 2011
Gadzhimurad KAMALOV – Russian Federation – 2011
Hrant DINK – Turkey – 2007
Anna POLITKOVSKAYA – Russian Federation – 2006
Elmar HUSEYNOV – Azerbaijan – 2005
Dusko JOVANOVIĆ – Montenegro – 2004
Martin O’HAGAN – United Kingdom – 2001
Georgiy GONGADZE – Ukraine – 2000
Dada VUJASINOVIĆ – Serbia – 1994
And 14 Serbian and Albanian journalists killed or disappeared in Kosovo between 1998 and 2005: Bardhyl AJETI (2005), Bekim KASTRATI (2001), Xhemajl MUSTAFA (2000), Shefki POPOVA (2000), Marian MELONAŠI (2000), Momir STOKUĆA (1999), Krist GEGAJ (1999), Aleksandar SIMOVIĆ (1999), Milo BULJEVIĆ (1999), Ljubomir KNEŽEVIĆ (1999), Enver MALOKU (1999), Afrim MALIQI (1998), Ðuro SLAVUJ and Ranko PERENIĆ (1998).

#Slovakia assolto il presunto mandante del duplice omicidio del giornalista #JánKuciak e della fidanzata Martina Kušnírová assassinati il 21 febbraio 2018. Disattesa la speranza di giustizia. Il racconto di @TassoOfficial @euronewsit @liberainfo #allforjan https://t.co/FNw0hzSQoi

— Lorenzo Frigerio (@lorenz_frigerio) September 3, 2020