The monument commemorating Vasil Biľak was painted over in red. (source: SITA)
Activists Ľuboš Lorenz and Peter Kalmus have been found guilty of spraying the bust of former communist politician Vasil Biľak with red paint, the RTVS public broadcaster reported.
The district court in Svidník (Prešov Region) ruled that the activists committed a misdemeanor when they sprayed the bust, which was not in their possession. It sentenced them to a two-month conditional penalty with an 18-month suspension, and a fine of €80. However, the Communist Party of Slovakia (KSS) requested compensation of more than €1,600, as reported by RTVS.
A controversial bust
The decision is not yet valid as both parties in the case have appealed the ruling. The prosecutor has not yet decided whether he will appeal.
The case dates back to 2015 when the two activists from Košice painted a new Biľak bust in red and wrote “swine” on it.
KSS had placed the bust in Krajná Bystrá, a village in Prešov Region where the politician was born, just two days before the incident.
