Several people named in murdered Slovak journalist Jan Kuciak's final article have been detained by police. Kuciak's investigative article alleged links between the Slovak government and the Italian Mafia.
Image: picture-alliance/dpa/AP/B. Engler
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Slovak police on Thursday said they had conducted raids on the houses of several Italian businessmen with alleged Italian Mafia links, who journalist Jan Kuciak had been writing about before he was murdered.
Kuciak, 27, and his fiancee, Martina Kusnirova, were found shot dead at Kuciak's home on Sunday.
Jan Kuciak case: Drew Sullivan speaks to DW
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The country's police chief, Tibor Gaspar, told reporters in the eastern town of Michalovce on Thursday that seven were detained but did not give further details.
"I can confirm that these raids and detentions are being carried out in several places," said police commander Tibor Gaspar, according to the French news agency AFP.
He said those taken into custody during raids in the eastern town of Michalovce were "persons mentioned" by Kuciak in an investigative report of high-level corruption involving ties between the Slovak government and Italy's 'Ndrangheta crime syndicate.
"Physical evidence and individuals are being detained, they will be interrogated," Gaspar said.
Image: picture-alliance/AP/B. Engler
Slovak media reported that those detained included businessman Antonino Vadala and several of his relatives. Kuciak alleged they had links to Italy's 'Ndrangheta crime syndicate and contacts in the Slovak government.
The allegations were made in Kuciak's last article, which was published posthumously on Wednesday by his news outlet, aktuality.sk.
A protest in the capital, Bratislava, organized by a conservative opposition party, drew a crowd of about 1,000 people on Wednesday night.
The march was the first of several planned to honor Kuciak and protest graft in Slovakia. Other anti-corruption protests are being planned for Friday across the country as well as in Prague, London and The Hague.
Persecuted authors worldwide: 7 of the worst cases
Countless authors, publishers and journalists are persecuted as freedom of expression is under attack throughout the world. Here are seven of the worst cases.
Image: PEN International
Egypt - Ahmed Naji
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Image: PEN International
China - Gao Yu
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Saudi-Arabia - Raif Badawi
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Israel - Dareen Tatour
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Turkey - Asli Erdogan
The author of seven novels, Asli Erdogan was working as a journalist until she was arrested on August 17, 2016 in her apartment in Istanbul, a month after the attempted coup in Turkey. At the beginning of November, she wrote an urgent plea to world leaders from the infamous Bakirkoy Prison where she is detained. PEN International urges Turkish authorities to release her immediately.
Image: PEN International
China - Gui Minhai
Critic of the regime and author Gui Minhai lived in Hong Kong and ran the publishing house Mighty Current. In October 2015, he suddenly disappeared during a stay in Thailand. Observers suspect his disappearance is linked to a book published by Gui about a former lover of Chinese President Xi Jinping.
