Regional Court negates Slovakia’s first ever terrorism conviction

Košice Regional Court on October 30 overruled a verdict of Košice District Court which sentenced a man identified only as Ladislav K. to 25 years in jail for terrorism. The case will now return to the Košice District Court, the TASR newswire learnt from the Košice Regional Court spokeswoman Marcela Galová told TASR.

An extremist animal-rights supporter and a Košice native, Ladislav K., became the first individual in Slovakia to be found guilty of terrorism on May 19. He immediately appealed against the verdict. According to the original sentence, Ladislav K. carried out a bomb attack against a Košice fast-food restaurant. He was also found guilty of manufacturing explosives, unlawful possession of firearms, blackmail and intimidation. On December 28, 2011, the man planted and detonated a home-made bomb in a rubbish bin outside the restaurant. There was no loss of life, although the explosion caused property damage. According to the verdict, Ladislav K. committed the deed “in an effort to gravely intimidate the public and force the state government to adopt measures restricting the killing of animals”.

The District Court rejected the arguments of Ladislav K.’s lawyers, whom argued that he was mentally ill.

(Source: TASR)
Compiled by Zuzana Vilikovská from press reports
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