Judicial advocacy group condemns PM Fico's statements against judge as criminalization attempt

The Open Justice association has condemned statements made by Prime Minister Robert Fico against judge Pamela Záleská, calling them an unacceptable interference and a typical example of criminalizing judges. The criticism was directed at Záleská's ruling in a criminal case involving former special prosecutor Dušan K., a decision that was subsequently upheld by an appeals court. Open Justice represents judicial reform advocates in Slovakia, where concerns about political pressure on courts have grown amid ongoing tensions between the government and the judiciary over corruption prosecutions and judicial independence.