Prosecutor demanded 25 year prison sentence for murder of Slovak journalist

The 21-day trial for the murder of Slovak journalist Jan Kuciak and his fiancee ended with a Prosecutor recommending that the three remaining defendants in the case be sentenced to 25 years in prison, The Shift News reported.

Businessman Marian Kochner, who allegedly ordered Kuchak’s murder, was charged with ordering a hit on 27-year-old Kuchak, who exposed his corrupt business practices, and Kuchak’s 27-year-old fiancee Martina Kusnirova was killed because she was in the house when the killer arrived.

Prosecutor Vladimir Turan offered the same offer for Alyona Zhuzhova and Tomas Szabo, who are accused of helping Kochner organize the shooting of the pair in February 2018, which was allegedly ordered in the amount of 70,000 euros (us $81,000).

The proposed sentence is the second highest possible in the Slovak justice system, after the death penalty, which is imposed only in exceptional cases.

Kuciak’s murder has already led to the downfall of some of the highest-ranking members of the Slovak government, including 13 judges who were arrested for obstructing evidence in the case , as well as the resignation of Prime Minister Robert fico in 2018 after a wave of anti-corruption protests erupted across the country following Kuciak’s death.

The trial ended with a speech by Daniel Lipsic, Kuchak’s family lawyer, who shared a quote from the editor-in-chief of the slain journalist Peter Bardi.

The verdicts in this case are likely to be handed down on Friday, July 31, and Wednesday, August 5, 2020.

Earlier reported that the murder of a well-known anti-corruption journalist shocked Slovakia, making residents of the European state realize that even in a censorship-free country, the price of truth may be too high.