Slovak Extremist Leader Marian Kotleba Sentenced to 4 years in Jail

Leading Slovak far-right politician Marian Kotleba was sentenced to four years and four months in jail on Monday, in an eagerly awaited verdict that is part of a wider crackdown on extremism in the country, which has seen several high-level figures charged with racist crimes in recent years. Although Kotleba said he will appeal the verdict, if it is confirmed by the Supreme Court, it will likely spell the end of his political career.

After an eight-hour closing speech – an attempt to delay the end of the widely watched trial – Kotleba faced Slovak journalists outside the Specialized Criminal Court in Pezinok, defiant in defeat. “I can’t say that I’m happy, because I expected an acquittal,” he said. “It is clear that there was a political order that it should be closed already, that Kotleba needs to be ‘dealt with’.”

Kotleba’s case revolved around an event organised by his far-right People’s Party Our Slovakia (LSNS) in 2017 to commemorate the anniversary of the wartime fascist Slovak State (1939-1945).

At the event, Kotleba handed out a couple of big checks, made out to the sum of 1,488 euros, a combination of two well-known Neo-Nazi symbolic numbers, 14 and 88, to families with handicapped children. After the event, Kotleba and his LSNS colleagues, basking in the media attention, seemed to admit that they were well aware of the symbolism.

Prosecutor Tomas Honz argued in court that the 14 represented a neo-Nazi manifesto, 14 Words, coined by notorious white supremacist David Lane, while 88 stood for the eighth letter in the alphabet, “H”, which is a reference to the Nazi salute.

In an exhaustive speech, Kotleba argued on Monday that the numbers were coincidental and that no one in history has been prosecuted for helping people in need. He read out a list of dozens of items and public contracts worth similar sums, including ads for flowerpots, solar lamps or shoes. Ultimately, his arguments failed to convince Judge Ruzena Sabova.

“I am a bit moved,” admitted Honz, following the verdict, flashing a “V” sign for victory. “15 years after banning the Slovak Togetherness – National Party, Slovak Republic has finally achieved the conviction of a leading representative of extremism in Slovakia,” he said, adding that it sends a message to all the people in Slovakia who support democracy.

Honz said one of the reasons for Kotleba’s guilty verdict was that he had “used families for promoting sick Nazi ideologies”.

The Slovak media widely welcomed the verdict as a breakthrough in the country’s fight against extremism, while human rights organisations applauded the court’s decision. “We are glad that extremism in Slovakia is finally being punished and addressed with the appropriate attention,” said a group of anti-extremism NGOs, including Post Bellum, Not In Our Town and Center of Community Organising, in a joint statement. “No democracy is immune to the threat of extremism.”

Kotleba’s verdict is not final, though, and he has already announced he will appeal. His case will be further reviewed by the Supreme Court.