The International Press Institute (IPI), a global network of editors, media executives and leading journalists, has called on Slovak authorities to investigate reports of systematic surveillance of journalists led by a former intelligence agent. According to Slovak media, the agent, Peter Tóth, conducted a massive, illegal surveillance operation on journalists between March 2017 and February 2018 on behalf of Marian Kočner, the disgraced businessman charged with ordering the murders of Slovak journalist Ján Kuciak and his fiancée, Martina Kušnírová.

The leading Slovak daily SME published reports that a small, organized group worked with Tóth to gather information to be used by Kočner to discredit journalists, including those working for SME, Aktuality.sk, Trend and Denník N. The group closely monitored the targets’ personal lives and daily activities, going so far as to monitor journalists as they picked up their children from kindergarden. SME also said members of the group sat in a parked car every day in front of the newspaper’s office to follow one of its journalists, Adam Valček. IPI Deputy Director Scott Griffen said Slovak authorities should urgently investigate the reports.

(IPI)