Freedom of Speech Memorial Unveiled in Velka Maca

Velka Maca, 10 October (TASR) - The Freedom of Speech Memorial was officially opened in the village of Velka Maca (Trnava region) on Saturday, located on the site of the house where murdered journalist Jan Kuciak and his fiancée Martina Kusnirova lived, TASR was told by the Trnava self-governing region, as its investor, on Saturday. The memorial was placed at the site of the murder, which took place on 21 February 2018, at the request of the families of Jan Kuciak and Martina Kusnirova and based on Trnava region's initiative. Its design was selected through a public architectural competition won by Benjamin Bradnansky, Vit Halada and Martin Piacek. Their design called 'Garden' uses the motif of an inclined plane as a metaphor for society being thrown off balance, and an upward slope reaching towards the horizon and hope. Jozef Kuciak, the father of the murdered journalist, expressed his gratitude for the memorial in his speech. "I was also part of it when the competition for the contractor was announced. Even back then, I imagined that the memorial should actually represent hope. That's the uphill path toward the horizon and the grassy area. So, as I say, this should be a path to hope. However, whether there'll be any depends on all of us," he stressed. "A huge thank you to everyone who helped create this place of remembrance. At the same time, I'd like to call on everyone to let this serve as a reminder for future generations and for us all to start with ourselves. So that no one ever has to go through what we did, coming here without them, going to court and still fighting for truth and justice," added Zlatica Kusnirova, the mother of murdered archaeologist Martina Kusnirova. Trnava region invested €650,000 in the construction of the memorial, which will be open to the public on Saturday from 2 p.m. "Subsequently, it will be open every day from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. and in winter months until 4 p.m.," according to the Trnava self-governing. Journalist Jan Kuciak and his fiancée Martina Kusnirova were murdered in their house in Velka Maca (Trnava region) on 21 February 2018. Three sentences have been handed down in the case, with the perpetrators of the murders Miroslav Marcek and Tomas Szabo serving 25 years in jail and Zoltan Andrusko 15 years. The trial involving the alleged masterminds of the murder, Marian K. and Alena Zs. [names abbreviated due to legal reasons], has not yet reached a final verdict. jrg