Fri, 1 November 2024

Death threats to public tv moderator in Bratislava

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News battleground becomes horribly personal

Vienna, March 3, 2023

by Edward Steen, Secretary-General

Marta Jančkárová – nasty and brutal threats

“Unknown persons are threatening Marta Jančkárová in e-mails, couched in extremely aggressive and vulgar language, with physical liquidation, torture, mass rape, and attacks against her family members,” RTVS declared in its statement (to us). The public broadcaster won’t release the content of the e-mails due to their hateful and vulgar character.”

On Monday (06/03) members of the AEJ international board, including President Saia Tsaousidou and myself, will arrive in Bratislava to investigate what seem to be intolerable outrages against our Slovak colleague.  

The threatening e-mails and telephone calls were received after an episode of the political talkshow Sobotné Dialógy  on 18/02/23 and another broadcast on 25/02/23 when Smer-SD vice-chair Luboš Blaha, a vocal Russophile, was rejected by RTVS when he insisted on appearing on the show instead of his party colleague Marián Kéry to argue the corner against interim Defence Minister Jaroslav Naď.

In reaction to Blaha’s rejection Smer-SD announced it would initiate an extraordinary session of the House Culture and Media Committee over alleged censorship. RTVS has alerted politicians to increased public aggression against journalists.

Blaha – vocal Russophile

On 25/02 Smer-SD also threatened RTVS’s director that the party would “go for his throat” in connection with Ľuboš Blaha not being allowed on the programme.

Marta Jančkárová had explained on-air, at the beginning of the show, that Smer-SD  had confirmed Kery’s participation on 22/02. “Shortly before the show, however, Smer-SD vice-chair Luboš Blaha showed up at the radio building unannounced.

“The spokesperson, however, hadn’t announced any changes or excused Mr. Kery from the show, which was shot on Friday (24/02) morning due to the itinerary of the interim Defence Ministry. Because of this, we’re applying the empty seat principle.”

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