On the table in the kitchen, the investigators found cups of tea, coffee and an open laptop on which Martina Kušnirova was looking at wedding dresses.
Her body was found on the kitchen floor, and Jan’s on the stairs to the basement. In the movie “The Murder of a Journalist”, the killer explains in cold blood how he first killed him with a bullet in the chest, then eliminated the witness by shooting her in the head.
They were 27 years old and were to get married in May. She was buried in a wedding dress, he in a dark formal suit.
Five years later, in a mission with international organizations for media freedom, we came to Bratislava to express our support to the families of those killed, and the Slovak journalist community. Meetings with representatives of journalists, the authorities and the opposition were open and we concluded that some social and political changes took place in Slovakia after the murder, but the authorities have yet to take all necessary measures to protect journalists and defend independent media.
Jan’s and Martina’s parents follow all the events calmly, with a few tears. Jozef and Jana Kuciakova, and Zlatica Kušnírová. Five years now without their children, whom they buried in a wedding dress and wedding suit.
Jan’s parents often hold each other’s hands tightly, as if they are helping each other to endure this… Jozef Kuciak says that he was never interested in politics, they live in a small town, their families were mostly engaged in agriculture. He was surprised when Jan, or Janko as they call him, said he would be an investigative journalist.
Martina was the first girl he introduced them to. She was his support and strength. In the film “Murder of a Journalist”, a recording was released that was recorded by the people who followed them. The parking lot of a supermarket, late in the afternoon, Martina and Jan are pushing the cart from the store to the car, they are talking cheerfully, they are happy. Young, happy people. A few days later, they were lying in a pool of blood in the small family house that they had remodeled to live together.
Jan Kuciak investigated the financial connection between politicians and tycoons, Slovak entrepreneurs. At the time of the murder, he was collecting information about Marián Kočner, after he was arrested, information was found in his phone linking him to numerous actors in Slovak society, as well as communication with Alena Zsuzsova, who hired people to assassinate Kuciak. Two suspected assassins pleaded guilty and were sentenced. The court acquitted Kočer and Zsuzsova of the murder, explaining that they did not have enough evidence. They were convicted of financial fraud. After the prosecutor’s appeal, a new trial was opened, and the verdict is expected in April.
Jozef, Jana and Zlatica are waiting. They have nothing else left. After the murder of their children, prime ministers, ministers, police chiefs left power, many people were arrested, it can be said that changes have taken place in Slovak society, but…
The Ján Kuciak Research Center (ICJK) presented research results that show that more than two-thirds of Slovak journalists have experienced an attack or threat in the past year. In the survey, they said that there are more and more such attacks, mostly verbal, both in person and on the Internet. ICJK launched the Safe Journalism project (Bezpecna.Zurnalistika.sk), which aims to monitor and prevent attacks on journalists and help victims.
On the anniversary of the murder, the former prime minister, still a politician who will probably run in the early elections, continues to spread hatred towards journalists on Facebook. However, journalists do not allow Jan or his work to be forgotten. Kuciak’s researches were published posthumously, consolidated in the book Kuciak, journalists continued his research that showed the intertwining of politics, corrupt businessmen and organized crime groups.
And yesterday they gathered in the center of Bratislava, with parents holding hands tightly as they await justice for the murder of their children.
Author: Maja Sever