Slovak Lawmaker Faces Defamation Lawsuit Over Police Investigator Comments

Slovak National Party (SNS) lawmaker Roman Michelko is facing a defamation lawsuit filed by police investigator Ján Čurilla's family over comments made two years ago. Michelko publicly called Čurilla incompetent, claiming he "messed up everything he could" in the Tupy murder investigation, and also labeled him a criminal. The case is being heard in court, where Čurilla's daughter Taťjana testified about the impact of the statements, saying her daughter asked how a politician could publicly lie about her grandfather. The court will decide whether Michelko must apologize and pay 70,000 euros in damages to the police officer. SNS is a nationalist party that has been part of Slovakia's ruling coalition, and the case highlights ongoing tensions between politicians and law enforcement officials involved in high-profile criminal investigations.