The unveiling ceremony was attended by Eduard Heger, Prime Minister, and their parents.
Jan Kuciak, Martina Kusnirova and Martina Kusnirova were both 27-year-olds, shot to death at their Velka Maca home, east of Bratislava on February 21, 2018.
Kuciak was investigating government corruption at the time he was shot and killed. Major street protests were sparked by the killings, which was unprecedented since the 1989 Velvet Revolution in Czechoslovakia. This also triggered a political crisis that ultimately led to the collapse of the government.
Kusnirova’s mother Zlatica stated, “I thank all who work to prevent people forget what happened and why,”
The case has resulted in three defendants being sentenced. One of the defendants was a former soldier who pleaded guilty for fatally shooting them both. He received 25 years imprisonment.
The Supreme Court of Slovakia ruled that a lower court had wrongfully acquitted a businessman who was accused of orchestrating the murders. The Supreme Court’s three-judge panel ruled that the lower court failed to properly evaluate the evidence and cleared Marian Kocner, a businessman, and one other co-defendant from murder. The Supreme Court ordered a retrial, which is set to start next week.
Prosecutors claimed that Kocner ordered the murder. He denied that.
After the publication of a story on his business dealings, Kocner allegedly threatened Kuciak.
Kocner was also sentenced to 19 year imprisonment in another case involving forgery.
