Following the horrific murder of the journalist Ján Kuciak and his partner Martina Kušnírová in Slovakia this week, the S&D Group is calling for a full independent investigation into the deaths and a debate in the European Parliament on the protection of investigative journalists.

 

 

“We were all shocked and stunned to hear of the horrific murder of Ján Kuciak and Martina Kušnírová. Firstly, our thoughts are with their families and friends. There needs to be a full, independent investigation into the murder and European agencies such as Europol must do everything they can to support the Slovakian authorities in this.

 

“The parallels between this murder and that of Daphne Caruana Galizia are clear. Both were highly regarded journalists investigating corruption and illicit financial activities. Both murders show what lengths organised criminals will go to prevent scrutiny of their activities and their financial dealings. We cannot allow this to happen in Europe. We want a full, frank and open debate in the European Parliament next month in Strasbourg to look at what we can do to protect the vital work of investigative journalists wherever they are in Europe.”

 

 

“I believe that with help of Europol and international services, the investigative team will find those responsible for the murder of Ján Kuciak and his partner as quickly as possible. We, politicians, will do everything we can to crack down on fraud and illicit financial dealings. Journalists play an essential role in shining a light on these practices and we must ensure they can do so in safety and without fear of repercussions.”