Just ten days before the European elections, the premises of our media outlet, Nova24TV, were raided by the police, who are conducting a search.
Remember when Mojca Pašek Šetinc, former chairwoman of the Commission of Inquiry for determining the political responsibility of holders of public office with regard to the alleged illegal financing of political parties and party political propaganda in the media before and during the 2022 elections to the National Assembly with financial resources from state-owned enterprises, state institutions and foreign entities, said that the commission was set up to prosecute opposition media? After a series of attacks at the commission’s meetings, police entered the premises of Nova24TV and the office of its director, Boris Tomasič, today with a search warrant. However, the search is not only targeting the premises of Nova24TV, but also the home of Director Tomašič. The warrant, which orders the search of residential, business and other premises, as well as cars, is signed by the well-known judge Mojca Kocjančič.
The most brutal abuse of the police for political purposes
As Tomašič explained, the police came on the basis of a warrant from a completely politically abused commission, and his phone and computer were confiscated. And all of this is going down just ten days before the elections. “Coincidence? Certainly not,” he noted. We have never seen such blatant and brutal abuse by the police before an election.
Tomašič will share more after the investigation is over, so stay tuned and watch Nova24TV for further information.
Additionally, we have learnt that investigations are also underway at Telekom’s headquarters and at the homes of former board members and other suspects Tomaž Seljak, Vida Žurga, Matjaž Beričič, Špela Fortin, Tomaž Jontes, Blaž Rant, Sam Ošina, Peter Jeglič, Dalibor Kosmina, Tomaž Taškar and Anita Knežević Kregar.
They are suspected of the crimes of abuse of office and aiding and abetting the crime of abuse of office.
Janša: Is this the rule of law?
The leader of the opposition, Janez Janša, has informed the international public of what is happening. President of the European Commission Ursula Von der Leyen, President of the European Parliament Roberta Metsola, President of the European Council Charles Michel and Commissioners Věra Jourová and Didier Reynders were informed about the brutal investigation of the independent opposition media. Janša noted that investigations happen when the government has low public support. “Is this the rule of law in the European Union?” he also asked the representatives of the European Union mentioned above.
Lots of people have responded to what is going on on social media, here are some of their posts:
Slovenian Democratic Party (Slovenska demokratska stranka – SDS) published a clip of Mojca Šetinc Pašek talking about the fact that the commission in question was set up to investigate opposition media, noting that this is how the “new and free” faces understand parliamentarism and how parliamentary inquiries work.
Director of Nova24TV, Tomašič, pointed out that instead of Golob, the police came to Nova24TV, as Golob did not dare to do that himself. Meanwhile, Janez Janša posed a rhetorical question, writing: “Golob’s police just raided the premises of Nova24TV and Boris Tomašič’s home. Seizures of computers, phones etc. also happened. And only ten days before the elections to the European Parliament! Can you imagine the uproar if the police searched the premises of the media outlet 24ur on the 24th of February 2022, under any pretext?”
Journalist Jože Biščak also wrote about what is happening, posting the following on X: “Nova24TV and Boris Tomašič are currently being raided by police with a bunch of criminal investigators. Golob’s government has taken on the opposition media ahead of the European elections. This is the last step to totalitarianism where there is no place for different (conservative) minded people and media.” Metod Berlec also warned that what is going on proves that Slovenia is turning into a totalitarian country – “and this just ten days before the elections,” he added.
Andreja Valič Zver wrote: “Totalitarian regimes send the police to go after the media. The cunning Kučan did not dare to send the Yugoslavian militia over to Nova revija in late the 80s. But he did control and annoy it in every other possible way. However, the Golob government did it by directly attacking Nova24TV. This won’t pay off for them!” And Nova24TV editor Aleksander Rant called on everyone to help defend the last obstacle standing in the way of this “psychopathic regime taking full power.”
Meanwhile, Tomaž Štih called on the police to immediately stop the attack on the independent opposition media outlet and detain those who ordered them to go after Nova24TV. Davorin Kopše wrote a warning message: “Media freedom just before elections under a police boot and brutal repression. I really do not want to live in a country where, before every election, we wait to see what kind of shit the Bolshevik system in power in Slovenia will come up with. Do you still remember? From then until today …” and he added a photo of Janša going to prison, with a large group of his supporters behind him.
Meanwhile, Peter Jančič pointed out that he is certain that the police are not checking the special politically arranged contract and payments from the state-owned Telekom to Cirman, Vukovič and other members of the Necenzurirano (Uncensored) web portal.
C. Š.
