Third Kuciak Murder Trial Starts in Slovakia

A Slovak court ruled that encrypted Threema messages will remain admissible evidence in the retrial concerning the 2018 contract-style murders of investigative journalist Ján Kuciak and his fiancée, Martina Kušnírová. Defense attorneys for Marián Kočner and Alena Zsuzsová challenged the legality of the messages and the credibility of key witness Zoltán Andruskó, but the court rejected their motion. The case returns to the Specialized Criminal Court with new hearings scheduled starting Feb. 9 and spanning through 2026.