The activists of the Legal Network for the Protection of Democracy (Pravna mreža za varstvo demokracije) are celebrating the fact that they managed to convict the freelance journalist of the Prava web portal, Luka Perš, in Slovenian court – which is not exactly renowned for its independence and impartiality. Meanwhile, Perš lives off of modest donations.
In most democratic countries that abide by the rule of law, the conviction of an independent journalist would be condemned as a dangerous precedent for an attack on the freedom of the press. But not if you are a left-wing NGO that even considers itself to be a “guardian of democracy”. Meanwhile, the Legal Network for the Protection of Democracy, through the law firm Zakonjšek, directed and even encouraged the prosecution, and is now publicly celebrating the conviction of a journalist as a great success for our rule of law and pluralism. This is because Luka Perš “went after” another left-wing activist, Vuk Ćosić, with a journalistic “treatment”.
The so-called Legal Network for the Protection of Democracy is, in fact, a pro-government organisation, funded from the state budget and designed to take on those who oppose the current government, Štih pointed out in his extensive thread. We have reported on this organisation several times in the past, but judging by the entry on their website, it is clear that the organisation was founded in 2020, during the government of Janez Janša.
Organisations close to the Legal Network have already received almost 4 million euros from the state
Several NGOs have joined the group, including the Legal Centre for the Protection of Human Rights and the Environment (Pravni center za varstvo človekovih pravic in okolja – PIC), Amnesty International Slovenia (AI), Today Is a New Day (Danes je nov dan), and the Institute for Diversity Culture – Open (Zavod za kulturo raznolikosti Open). In addition, according to their website, they have already collaborated with 71 law firms and have been successful in several projects so far. What is interesting about the latter is the fact, also pointed out by Štih, that their last project was recorded in 2020: “On the website, the “Achievements” of the self-proclaimed guardians of democracy end in 2022. After that, no more achievements are listed, because the non-socialist government was no more, and they then converted from an NGO to a pro-government organisation.”
The organisation in question consists of organisations that have so far received as much as 3.8 million euros from the state budget. “This does not include funds from abroad, such as donations from the George Soros Foundation, nor the support they receive from other state institutions,” Štih pointed out, adding that their aim is not to protect individuals from the state, but in this case “to protect the political activist Vuk Ćosić,” who, although he is enjoying retirement, apparently has plenty of time for legal battles against journalists.
In one of its projects, the Legal Network for the Protection of Democracy trained people to defend strategic lawsuits against journalists, which clearly shows their real intention – to protect privileged individuals like Vuk Ćosić, who became known to the public as the leader of the youths who defaced the facade of the Ministry of Culture with yellow swastikas in the summer of 2021. Together, they have repeatedly tried to silence critics from the ranks of independent journalists. Another of the Legal Network’s projects, of national importance, was also led by Ćosić, which shows the links between the network and budget projects financed with taxpayers’ money.
It would not be surprising if Ćosić was represented in court by Jasna Zakonjšek, a lawyer who is part of the Legal Network for the Protection of Democracy. She has also represented Erik Valenčič in the past, as we have previously reported. Zakonjšek is well known to our media house, as she is particularly fond of representing her clients in their lawsuits against us.
In addition, she also seems to have a very good background; her father is none other than lawyer Emil Zakonjšek, a member of the Judicial Council of the Republic of Slovenia, who is the chairman of the disciplinary body there. Zakonjšek is known to be on good terms with the most famous godfather from the background, Milan Kučan, as he was one of the founding members of the Forum 21 Association. For this reason, it is not surprising that it was Zakonjšek who escorted Kučan to the hearing before the parliamentary commission in 2007.
The work of the Legal Network is clearly aimed at protecting the interests of political activists who hide behind the mask of democratic protection, while using budgetary and legal means to attack independent journalists and government critics.
T. B.
