Foreign Affairs Ministry Unaware of Slovaks Fighting in Ukraine

Bratislava, June 13 (TASR) – The Slovak Embassy in Kiev is unaware of any Slovaks fighting in eastern Ukraine, TASR learnt from the Slovak Foreign and European Affairs Ministry on Tuesday.

Head of the ministry’s press department Igor Skocek said that, under the Slovak Criminal Code, such active involvement in the combat activities of an organised armed group outside of Slovakia during a war can lead to a jail term of two-eight years.

The ministry make its statement after the Czech police pressed charges against a Czech citizen who fought alongside pro-Russian rebels in eastern Ukraine, the first time that it has done so.

Last year, the Slovak police also dealt with a case involving a Slovak national suspected of serving in foreign armed forces. The matter was eventually shelved, however.

“The case was dealt with by a police investigator at the Police Corps District Directorate in Zilina, but the case involving suspected service in a foreign military group was put in abeyance on February 24, 2016 because it came under the statute of limitations,” said the directorate’s spokesperson Jana Balogova.