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A Slovak court on Monday ruled that encrypted Threema messages would remain in evidence as proceedings resumed in the third trial over the 2018 murders of investigative journalist Ján Kuciak and his fiancée, Martina Kušnírová.
Kuciak, 27, was an investigative reporter covering corruption and organized crime, while Kušnírová was his fiancée. The two were shot dead at their home in the village of Veľká Mača in February 2018, in a contract-style killing that triggered mass protests in Slovakia and led to the resignation of senior government officials.
Businessman Marián Kočner and his associate Alena Zsuzsová stand accused of ordering the killing and they again appeared before a newly constituted panel of the Specialized Criminal Court.
The retrial was ordered after Slovakia’s Supreme Court overturned a May 2023 verdict, saying the lower court made “unclear factual findings” and failed to examine all relevant evidence. The top court said the previous judges “did not deal with all circumstances significant for the decision” and sent the case back for a fresh hearing before a new panel.
At Monday’s hearing, Kočner’s lawyer Marek Para challenged the prosecution’s use of Threema messages, questioning whether they were legally obtained, and attacked the credibility of key witness Zoltán Andruskó, calling him “absolutely untrustworthy.”
Zsuzsová’s lawyers echoed the criticism, saying the case relied almost entirely on Andruskó and that the evidence presented so far did not prove her involvement in the murders.
Lawyers representing the victims’ families opposed the defense motion. Roman Kvasnica, who represents Kuciak’s parents and Kušnírová’s mother, said there was no reason to exclude the digital evidence.
The court rejected the defense request and ruled that Kočner’s Threema communications would remain part of the case file.
The next hearing was scheduled for Feb. 9, with the court setting 42 hearing dates through the end of 2026.
