Slovak Prime Minister Targets Judge Over High-Profile Corruption Case Ruling

Prime Minister Robert Fico, accompanied by Deputy Parliament Speaker Tibor Gašpar and MP Marek Para, used a significant portion of a recent press conference to announce criminal charges and other measures against Judge Pamela Záleská of the Specialized Criminal Court. The government alleges Záleská committed abuse of power when she issued a verdict in the criminal case of former Special Prosecutor Dušan Kováčik. The incident represents an escalation in tensions between Slovakia's ruling government and the judiciary over high-profile corruption cases. Kováčik, the country's former top anti-corruption prosecutor, was convicted of accepting bribes and sentenced to prison in a case that has become a symbol of Slovakia's efforts to combat high-level corruption within its own institutions.