Talk:Murder of Ján Kuciak

Lead section

My edit

Last version

Ján Kuciak (17 May 1990 – 21 February 2018) was a Slovak investigative journalist who focused mainly on investigating tax fraud for the news website Aktuality.sk. He and his fiancée, Martina Kušnírová, were shot dead in February 2018 in their home in Veľká Mača, Galanta District, Slovakia.[2] Kuciak was the first journalist murdered in Slovakia since the country's independence.[3] The murders caused shock and disbelief throughout the country, sparking mass demonstrations and a political crisis that resulted in the resignation on 15 March of Prime Minister Robert Fico and his entire cabinet[4] under pressure from President Andrej Kiska and opposition parties[5].[6] The affair was politicized because the tax frauds uncovered by Kuciak were those of wealthy donors of top-level Slovak politicians.[7] Suspicions were that famous businessman Marian Kočner was involved. According to the prosecution's indictment, he tasked Alena Zsuzsová with arranging Kuciak's murder, with which she in turn tasked Andruskó. However, on 3 September 2020, Kočner and Zsuzsová were acquitted by the Court for lack of credible evidence. Three people have been found guilty and sentenced to between 15 and 25 years in prison: Zoltán Andruskó, a businessman from Chotín, for ordering the murder ; and the two perpetrators, both cousins, former policeman Tomáš Szabó and former soldier Miroslav Marček, all three having admitted.[8] Andruskó was sentenced to 15 years in prison, Marček to 23 years and Szabó to 25 years[9]. The ruling was met with widespread dissatisfaction from NGOs and political parties convinced that Kočner was guilty[10]. The prosecutor appealed against the ruling and the case is to be reviewed by the Supreme Court.[11]

Ján Kuciak (17 May 1990 – 21 February 2018) was a Slovak investigative journalist. Kuciak worked as a reporter for the news website Aktuality.sk, focused mainly on investigating tax fraud of several businessmen with connections to top-level Slovak politicians.[2] He and his fiancée, Martina Kušnírová, were shot dead in February 2018 in their home in Veľká Mača, Galanta District, Slovakia.[3] Kuciak was the first journalist murdered in Slovakia since the country's independence.[4] The murders caused shock and disbelief throughout the country, sparking mass popular protests and a political crisis,[5] with the government of Prime Minister Robert Fico on one side, and President Andrej Kiska and opposition parties on the other.[6] The crisis culminated on 15 March with the resignation of Prime Minister Fico and his entire cabinet.[7] As of 3 September 2020, three perpetrators have been found guilty and sentenced. Zoltán Andruskó, a businessman from Chotín, admitted to ordering Tomáš Szabó and Miroslav Marček to carry out the murder, and was sentenced to 15 years in prison.[8] Marček, a former soldier, admitted to shooting Kuciak and Kušnírová and was sentenced by a first-degree court to 23 years in prison.[9] His cousin Tomáš Szabó, a former policeman, was sentenced to 25 years in prison for participating in the murder. The prosecution's indictment also includes Alena Zsuzsová and Marian Kočner. According to the indictment, it was Kočner who tasked Zsuzsová with arranging Kuciak's murder, with which she in turn tasked Andruskó. Kočner and Zsuzsová were acquitted by a first-degree court on 3 September 2020. The prosecutor appealed against the ruling and the case is to be reviewed by the Supreme Court.[10]

My edit was meant to convey these key informations that were absent:

1. the Very important (and most important) person in this judicial case is Kočner. He is one of the "several businessmen with connections to top-level Slovak politicians" (hence the move later in the section). I called him "famous businessman" for lack of a more elaborate and objective expression. But surely it needs development. It's an understatement to say "the indictment also includes Kočner", when he is accused of no less than ordering the murder.
2. people expected Kočner to be found guilty and the outrage was largely about his acquittal, hence the prosecution's decision to appeal

However, which of the two cousins Marček or Szabó shot the two victims and which one aided, isn't necessary in the intro, moreover both had almost similar sentences.

Kahlores (talk) 20:22, 27 September 2020 (UTC)

Edited your latest edit so that the header contains information about Kočner and Zsuzsová in factual terms. I maintain that the individual sentences for Andruskó, Marček and Szabó belong in the header as before.

Changed your formulation "suspicions were that..." with the prosecution's indictment - Kočner and Zsuzsová were not merely suspected to be involved, they were officially charged by authorities and the case is pending, which makes them acquitted by the first-degree court with prosecutor having appealed against this ruling rather than 'former suspects'. RadoLukacs (talk) 22:07, 29 September 2020 (UTC)

Information about Kočner's relation to Kuciak (threats, articles) is covered in the 'Background' section. RadoLukacs (talk) 22:10, 29 September 2020 (UTC)

A Commons file used on this page or its Wikidata item has been nominated for deletion

The following Wikimedia Commons file used on this page or its Wikidata item has been nominated for deletion:

• Demonstration in memory of murdered journalist Ján Kuciak and his fiancée Martina Kušnírová. Bratislava, March 2nd 2018.png

Participate in the deletion discussion at the nomination page. —Community Tech bot (talk) 06:36, 11 May 2022 (UTC)