Court Finds Daniel B. Guilty of Multiple Extremist Crimes (2)

Pezinok/Bratislava, 10 March (TASR) - The Specialised Criminal Court in Pezinok on Tuesday found Daniel B. [name abbreviated due to legal reasons-ed.note] guilty of all charges related to several extremist criminal offences, TASR learnt on the same day. The court imposed a suspended prison sentence of three years with a probation period of four years. The verdict is not final. Prosecutor Michal Stanislav and Daniel B. both appealed against all parts of the ruling. Daniel B. will also remain in custody for the time being. The charges against Daniel B. included expression of sympathy for a movement aimed at suppressing fundamental rights and freedoms, dissemination of extremist material, incitement of national, racial and ethnic hatred and dangerous digital harassment. According to the prosecution, he committed these acts by publishing posts on social media. Since the beginning of the trial, Daniel B. has been denying guilt, arguing that none of the acts described in the indictment constitute a criminal offence. In the reasoning of the verdict, judge Eliska Snajderova commented, among other things, on the defendant's promotion of the publication 'Protocols of the Elders of Zion'. According to the court, Daniel B. repeatedly urged his followers to read the text, thereby crossing the line from passive dissemination and becoming an active distributor of extremist material. The judge added that Daniel B. used the material to promote his own ideological beliefs. The court also stated that Daniel B.’s conduct towards the injured party, Michal Stromajer, was aimed at repeated ridicule or dehumanisation. According to the court, Daniel B.'s actions caused a significant deterioration in the victim's quality of life, whether through repeated threats of attacks or by publishing his home address online. Regarding the "OK" gesture, the court said it has several meanings but can also acquire an ideological dimension. The court therefore concluded that Daniel B. publicly used symbolic expressions showing sympathy with the white power ideology. After delivering the reasoning of the verdict, the judge of the Specialized Criminal Court ordered Daniel B.’s release from custody, stating that the reasons for pre-trial detention no longer apply. However, the prosecutor filed a complaint against that decision, which will be decided by the Supreme Court. Until then, Daniel B. will remain in custody. "I absolutely cannot agree with the judge's conclusions regarding the finding of guilt, nor with the reasoning as to why she reached such conclusions. The element of knowledge is absolutely missing in those acts, and I could go through them one by one (...)," the defendant's lawyer and an advisor to the prime minister David Lindtner told the media. NOTE: This story has been updated in paragraph two and extended to include paragraphs 6-11 mf