Good evening. Here is theTuesday, July 30edition of Today in Slovakia - the main news of the day in less than five minutes.
Czech disinformation figure faces extradition
Pavel Zítko had been wanted for several months before he got arrested in Slovakia in June 2024.
Dozens of Czech and Slovak supporters gathered on Tuesday at a courthouse in Nitra, western Slovakia, where a decision was made to extradite notorious Czech disinformation peddler Pavel Zítko, 58, to his home country.
In Czechia, Zítko is facing charges for spreading disinformation through videos he posted on social media in 2021 during the coronavirus pandemic. He criticised vaccines and public health measures.
At the courthouse, Zítko shouted at the police, “You’re both vaccinated!” as he protested their attempts to take him back to custody.
According to My Nitra, a local news website, Zítko’s supporters voiced various conspiracy theories to the media, including claims that journalists are backed by American Illuminati and advocating for a regime change in Slovakia. They also questioned whether Russia is an aggressor in the Ukraine war, with one supporter asking, “Russia is an aggressor?” Police also had to begin using shields to push the crowd out of the regional court building.
Zítko, who was arrested in Slovakia at the end of June and placed in pre-trial detention, has lodged an appeal against the court’s recent decision. The Supreme Court will deal with his appeal.
Last year, Zítko attempted to run for Czech president but failed to gather the required number of signatures to be able to run. He also reportedly sent a letter to the Russian embassy in Prague seeking assistance for “the legal restoration of Czechoslovakia.”
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FEATURE STORY
New Yorker’s citizenship quest
David Feher with his daughter Emily at Štrbské Pleso in Slovakia's High Tatra mountains. (source: Archive of D. F.)
Sports lawyer David Feher is not the only one in his family seeking Slovak citizenship; his daughter, Emily, has also applied. While his immediate family is curious and supportive, especially those on his mother’s side, his more distant relatives are less invested due to their preference for being more close to home.
Make sure to catch the newest edition of our Slovak Roots newsletter—your latest link to all things Slovak!
EVENT NEAR BRATISLAVA
A perfect pairing for a memorable night
Wine Under the Stars will take place on August 2-3, 2024 in Pezinok. (source: Martina Mlčúchová)
The popular event “Wine Under the Stars” is happening this weekend, offering a delightful experience of savouring wine in Pezinok’s scenic vineyards. With a glass in hand, you can also count the stars above. The event will feature performances by well-known Slovak bands. Tickets are available here.
IN OTHER NEWS
Justice Minister Boris Susko of Smer is pushing to have Judge Juraj Kliment removed from his position, filing a disciplinary proposal against him. Susko suspects Kliment of bias against prosecuted lawyer Marek Para, who advises Prime Minister Robert Fico (Smer) and frequently appears at Smer party press conferences. Kliment, who has also been threatened by Fico himself, has reached out to the European Commission for support. (Denník N)
According to an Ipsos survey for The Central European Digital Media Observatory (CEDMO), nearly half of voters for the ruling Smer party (46.5 percent), Slovak National Party (45 percent), and the far-right Republika (41 percent) believe that people in Russia have a great life. CEDMO asked respondents if they agree with the statement: “Western media and governments lie to the public, claiming that Russia is struggling and that sanctions are effective. The truth is that prosperity prevails in Russia.” Nearly 31 percent of those surveyed completely or partially agreed with this statement. (Denník N)
The conservative website Štandard remains on the list of controversial sites published by the Konšpirátori.sk project, which monitors conspiracy media. The Bratislava III District Court has rejected the media outlet’s request to remove it from the list of conspiracy sites.
World No.67, Slovak tennis player Anna Karolína Schmiedlová defeats Jasmine Paolini of Italy, this year’s Wimbledon runner-up and world No. 5, at the Paris Olympics on July 30, 2024. Schmiedlová will face world No. 10 and Wimbledon champion Barbora Krejčíková tomorrow, July 31. (source: TASR - Michal Svítok)
Defence Minister Robert Kaliňák’s law firm, Kallan Legal, has earned over a million euros from the Smer party in the past five years. The firm primarily represented Smer’s chair, Robert Fico, and the newly-elected Smer MEP Ľuboš Blaha. The firm’s income from Smer has been increasing every year, reaching €435,000 last year. Kaliňák’s business partners are Marcela Saloňová, the wife of a Smer MP, and David Lindtner, a former judge and advisor to the prime minister. (Aktuality)
Deputy General Prosecutor Jozef Kandera, under Section 363, dismissed the prosecution of former spy chief Michal Aláč. Aláč had been accused as an alleged member of a criminal group, facing charges of abuse of public office and obstruction of justice following last year’s police operation Rozuzlenie (Unravelling).
Slovak MEP Miriam Lexmann (KDH) attended a meeting of the Inter-Parliamentary Alliance on China (IPAC), which focuses on how democratic countries should interact with China, at the end of July 2024. Her office revealed that Beijing had pressured lawmakers from at least six countries, including Slovakia, through its diplomats, over their participation in the latest IPAC summit. “The CCP [Communist Party of China] believes that it can use pressure and coercion to stop democratically elected legislators from gathering,” Slovak MEP Lexmann wrote on X. China imposed sanctions on the Slovak MEP in 2021.
WEATHER FOR WEDNESDAY: Expect mostly sunny to partly cloudy skies. Daytime temperatures will range from 29°C to 34°C, with some areas in the north experiencing around 27°C. A yellow heat warning has been issued for districts in southwestern Slovakia. (SHMÚ)
JULY 31 NAME DAY IN SLOVAKIA: Ignác.
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