European Parliament President plenary statement on the murder of Ján Kuciak 

“As the President of the European Parliament, as a European citizen and as a former journalist, I would like to express my profound indignation and firm condemnation for the assassination of the Slovak journalist Ján Kuciak and his partner, Martina Kusnirova, close to Bratislava.

This is a new, unacceptable attack on the freedom of the press, which is the founding value of our democracy, a few months after the tragic murder of the Maltese journalist, Daphne Caruana Galicia.

Ján Kuciak practiced his profession with passion and courage. In his brief but promising career, he conducted inquries into cases of suspicious financing and tax evasion. He sought out the truth with determination and didn’t answer to anyone. The police are working on the premise that he was killed to stop his investigation.

On behalf of the European Parliament, I want to make it completely clear that we all have a duty to continue his battle for truth. It is not acceptable for a journalist in the European Union to be killed today for doing his job.

How can we condemn those who intimidate and imprison journalists around the world, if we fail to guarantee that our press work safely themselves? I am counting on the Slovak authorities to ensure that they do everything in their power to seek out the truth, including through international police cooperation.

On behalf of the European Parliament, I can assure you that, as in the case of Daphne Caruana Galicia, we will not stop raising our voices and continuing to keep a watchful eye so that those who are guilty are brought to justice.”

Click here to view President Tajani’s statement.