Slovak People's Party Leader Marian Kotleba Sued For Imprisonment For Giving Checks With 'Nazi-Nazian' Numbers

Marian Kotleba (Source: Wikimedia Commons)

JAKARTA - Marian Kotleba, Head of the Slovak People's Party, is on trial for giving checks worth 1,488 euros to three poor families in 2017. The figure of 1,488 is problematic because it is considered a symbol of neo-Nazi and white supremacy.

The verdict is not final. The leader of the right-wing party pleaded not guilty. He appealed the decision of the Special Criminal Court in Pezinok.

The hot ball is now in the Supreme Court, which will decide on the appeal. The Slovak People's Party has long wanted to declare its exit from the European Union and NATO.

The party that uses the Nazi salute is the fourth most popular party in Slovakia in parliamentary elections in February. At least eight percent of the support is obtained by this party, with 17 seats in the 150 seats in the Slovak Parliament and two seats in the European Parliament.

Kotleba and his party members do openly support the Nazi legacy that Slovakia had during World War II. In fact, on March 14, 2017, an incident occurred during the commemoration of the founding of Slovakia during the 1939 war.

Last year, the Supreme Court rejected Attorney General Jaromir Ciznar's request to ban the Kotleba party. Jaromir considers the Slovak People's Party as an extremist group whose activities violate the country's constitution.

The Slovak People's Party is also seen as having the goal of destroying the country's democratic system. However, the court ruled that the public prosecutor failed to provide sufficient evidence for the ban.