Thousands protest against Slovakia's PM on anniversary of journalist's murder

Thousands rallied across Slovakia on Friday to mark the seventh anniversary of the killing of investigative journalist Ján Kuciak and his fiancée Martina Kušnírová, who were shot dead at their home town of Velka Maca, east of the capital Bratislava, in February 2018.

They were both aged 27 at the time of their death and the incident sparked major street protests.

The ensuing political crisis led to the collapse of a coalition government headed by Robert Fico. Kuciak had been investigating possible government corruption, among other issues when he was killed.

People applauded the parents of Kuciak and the mother of Kušnírová, who greeted them from the stage.

"We cannot allow ourselves to be lethargic and expect someone to solve everything for us. That's why we need to fight and I believe that our protests will contribute to that,” Ján's father Jozef Kuciak told the crowd.

Marián Kočner, a businessman who had been accused of masterminding the killings, has been acquitted twice.

Prosecutors have said they believe Kočner paid the convicted triggerman to carry it out and appealed.

The protest is part of a wave of anti-government protests against the pro-Russia policies of populist Prime Minister Robert Fico. They’re also the biggest demonstrations since the 2018 killings.

Protests intensified after Fico visited Moscow for talks with Russia's President Vladimir Putin. The visit was one of a rare few visits by European Union leaders since the Kremlin launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.

Protesters are also opposing Fico's proposal to potentially leave the 27-nation European Union and NATO.

Protesters waved Slovak and EU flags side-by-side and chanted 'Slovakia is Europe'. They also carried anti-Fico banners and chanted 'We’ve had enough of Fico'.

The crowds at rallies in 47 different towns and cities in Slovakia, and 16 other locations abroad – according to organisers – participated in the protests. About 10,000 protesters at the popular Freedom Square in the capital Bratislava demanded Fico’s resignation.

The Slovak premier returned to power after his leftist Smer party won a parliamentary election in 2023.

He has since ended the country's military support to Kyiv in its almost three-year long war with Moscow, criticised EU sanctions on Russia and vowed to block Ukraine from joining NATO.

He also declared Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskyy as a national enemy after Kyiv halted the transit of Russian gas in Ukraine and its supplies to Slovakia, along with other European customers.