Bratislava Regional Court Confirms Blaha Interfered with President's Rights

Bratislava, August 1 (TASR) – Bratislava Regional Court has fully confirmed that MP Lubos Blaha (Smer-SD) has been unlawfully interfering with the rights of President Zuzana Caputova, the President’s Office press department head Jozef Matej told TASR on Monday.

The court obliged Blaha to refrain from further verbal attacks and from spreading false information. This verdict is incontestable.

“Even in politics, freedom of expression is not without limit, and it’s not possible to use it as a cover for gross lies and insults. I believe that this verdict will help our political culture and will be taken on board by all those for whom defamation has become a common political tool,” said the president in reaction to the verdict.

Caputova in March made use of an injunction to protect herself against repeated vulgar and verbal attacks by Blaha. “Bratislava I District Court at that time ordered the MP to refrain from publishing and spreading false claims that the Slovak president is a traitor, an agent of foreign powers and that she is controlled by the United States,” said Matej.

Blaha contested this measure at Bratislava Regional Court, which issued a ruling on July 21, identifying itself with the grounds for the injunction and confirming it in full.

According to Matej, the court ruled that Blaha’s aforementioned statements lack any matter-of-fact, rational argumentation, or any attempt to explain and prove the claims. “The ban on spreading such claims doesn’t apply only to social networks, but also to any public appearances or communications,” he added.