Slovak Party Leader Kotleba Indicted for Promoting Nazi Ideology
Slovak prosecutors indicted far-right leader Marian Kotleba for promoting racism and Nazi ideology, as the European Union member state witnesses a surge in populist, anti-immigrant political forces.
Kotleba, a lawmaker and the chairman of the Peoples Party, was indicted after sponsoring an event last year during which he gave a charity a check for 1,488 euros, a number that refers to a slogan used by white supremacists. He thus expressed sympathy toward racist and Nazi ideology, prosecutor spokeswoman Jana Tokolyova said by email on Friday.
The Peoples Party, whose lawmakers celebrate Slovakias World War II Nazi regime and once wore military uniforms reminiscent of that time in public, won 8 percent of the vote in 2016 elections. With a platform that seeks Slovakias exit from the EU and NATO, it was the fifth most popular party in June with 9.7 percent support, according to a poll conducted by Focus Research.
https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2018-07-27/slovak-party-leader-kotleba-indicted-for-promoting-nazi-ideology