On Thursday the District Court of Bratislava I issued an interlocutory injunction preventing the publication or distribution of journalist Tom Nicholson’s book on the Gorilla political corruption allegations in Slovakia.
The motion was seemingly filed by partner of financial group Penta, Jaroslav Hascak, who is alleged by the Gorilla reports as having given backhanders and commissions to top politicians and people in public office in return for smooth tenders and privatisation.
At Friday’s Gorilla protest March, Tom Nicholson expressed his surprise at the decision, while noting how in the age of the internet it was absurd to try and prevent him from spreading information that most people already had access to in the Gorilla reports anyway.
The International Press Institute (IPI) in Slovakia was among those to issue its stance to the injunction, calling for it to be revoked by a higher court on grounds of freedom of speech.
A disgrace and a day of national shame for Slovakia!
What is the going rate for a ruling out of BA 1 these days?
Poor old uncle Tom, he of the manly beard , gets more like Cat Weasel every day .