Daniel Bombic, charged with extremist criminal offences, sits during a hearing at the Supreme Court in Bratislava on Tuesday, 29 April 2025. (source: TASR - Jakub Kotian)
In a sharp reversal of an earlier court ruling, the Supreme Court has ordered the pre-trial detention of far-right agitator Daniel Bombic, citing repeated violations of a prior order barring him from spreading hate speech online. The ruling marks a significant judicial shift and a potential precedent in the country’s uneasy balance between freedom of expression and public protection.
Bombic, who goes by the pseudonym Danny Kollár online, has long drawn scrutiny for inflammatory posts targeting minorities, journalists and public officials. Yet despite multiple charges and an earlier international arrest warrant, authorities had stopped short of detaining him – until now, the Sme daily reports.
On Tuesday, 29 April, Judge Dana Wänkeová declared that the Supreme Court had “meticulously analysed every post” flagged by prosecutors, concluding that Bombic had breached conditions imposed in its February ruling. That decision had prohibited him from disseminating hateful content and mandated electronic monitoring.
“Everyone has the right to express ideas, but in a manner consistent with decency, respect, and established rules,” Wänkeová said on Tuesday. “There is no longer any question of whether this case warrants custody.”
The court cited several examples to support its decision. In one post, Bombic commented on a deadly car attack in Mannheim, Germany, writing with apparent sarcasm: “Disgusting white Nazis! Right? You deserve it, Germans. Suffer. Keep bowing your heads.” The court found this to be tantamount to condoning criminal acts.
