Judge Acquits Stefan H. in Case Concerning Approval of Russian Aggression
A judge of the Specialised Criminal Court in Pezinok has acquitted Supreme Court ex-president and former justice minister Stefan H. of charges related to endorsing Russia's aggression in Ukraine, which included the offences of defaming a nation, race and belief, and approving of a criminal offence.
Pezinok, 30 May (TASR) - A judge of the Specialised Criminal Court (STS) in Pezinok (Bratislava region) has acquitted Supreme Court ex-president and former justice minister Stefan H. (name abbreviated due to legal reasons) of charges related to endorsing Russia's aggression in Ukraine, which included the offences of defaming a nation, race and belief, and approving of a criminal offence.
The court's decision isn't yet final.
Stefan H. had maintained his innocence from the beginning of the trial. According to his legal representative Jan Foltan, the indictment is politically motivated. At the main hearing in April, he emphasised that the defined act doesn't indicate that his client defamed the Ukrainian nation.
A prosecutor from the former Special Prosecutor's Office filed the indictment in June 2023. The case concerns a statement made by Stefan H. shortly after the start of Russia's aggression against Ukraine. According to the indictment, Stefan H. wrote on social media that he would have done the same as Russian President Vladimir Putin, referring to the pacification of the Nazis.
