MORNING NEWS HIGHLIGHTS - Sunday, October 23, 2022 - 9 a.m.

TASR brings a quick morning overview of the most important events seen in Slovakia on the previous day (Saturday, October 22): BRATISLAVA - An investigator of the National Criminal Agency (NAKA) has pressed charges against 16-year-old B.B. [name abbreviated due to legal reasons] over participation in terrorism, TASR learnt from police spokesperson Denisa Bardyova on Saturday. The Special Prosecutor's Office will file a motion to prosecute the defendant in custody. The charges concern crimes of the founding, supporting and promoting movements suppressing basic rights and freedoms as well as a certain form of participation in terrorism, said Bardyova. The NAKA arrested the defendant on Friday (October 21). It secured evidence about the criminal activity in collaboration with the Military Intelligence as part of the investigation into the Slovakbro case. BRATISLAVA - The National Criminal Agency (NAKA) has pressed charges against a secondary school student who voiced his public approval with the October 12 terrorist attack in Bratislava, TASR learnt from police spokesperson Denisa Bardyova on Saturday. With the approval of the Special Prosecutor's Office, the defendant won't be prosecuted in custody. "Following yesterday's operation called 'Warning', the NAKA investigator pressed charges against N.K. [name abbreviated due to legal reasons] over participation in terrorism under the Paragraph 419b/1 of the Penal Code," stated the spokesperson. The defendant was arrested on Friday (October 21). "We warn that one of the forms of participation in terrorism is also the public endorsement of a terrorist attack, which, under the Paragraph 419b of the Penal Code, is punishable by three to ten years in jail," stated Bardyova. BRATISLAVA/PEZINOK - A pre-trial judge of the Specialised Criminal Court decided to take a defendant identified only as J.C. of Rostar (Kosice region), suspected of election corruption, into preventive custody out of concern that he might continue his criminal activities, TASR learnt from court spokesperson Katarina Kudjakova on Saturday. The decision is not yet final, as both the defendant and prosecutor have filed an appeal. Charges were pressed against the man on Thursday, October 20. According to the police, he promised his voters €50 each if he got elected in the upcoming municipal election and gave several individuals various foodstuffs in exchange for their votes. mf