Slovak man who celebrated terrorists sentenced to six years in prison
Media in Slovakia are reporting that a court has sentenced a 22-year-old man to six years in prison for using social media to glorify terrorists, incite the overthrow of the democratic political system, and to publish instructions on the manufacture of weapons, among other matters. The judge approved a plea agreement between the defendant and the prosecutor that, in exchange for his confession, allowed the imposition of a lesser sentence.
The 22-year-old Slovak already has a criminal record; he studied in the Czech Republic and was arrested this spring in cooperation with the Czech Police. The man used the nickname “Slovakbro” online and, according to the media, was also referred to by the gunman who shot two people dead in front of a bar in Bratislava frequented by the LGBT+ community.
Due to the sensitivity of the case, the hearing on the plea bargain was closed to the public. The man originally faced charges for several serious felonies: defamation of a nation and race, denial and approval of the Holocaust and crimes against humanity, dissemination of extremist material, and some form of participation in terrorism.
According to the media, the man originally faced up to 15 years in prison. News portal Aktuality.sk wrote that he disseminated his ideas through several public channels on Telegram.
The man also expressed his determination to destroy Israel. He became radicalized during the COVID-19 pandemic and called for people to break in the windows of centers for inoculation against the virus.
