DistantNews
Support us
Prosecution confirms Tonin invoked immunity in Knovs case, indictment dismissed
๐Ÿ‡ธ๐Ÿ‡ฎ Slovenia /Crime & Justice

Prosecution confirms Tonin invoked immunity in Knovs case, indictment dismissed

From Delo · () Slovenian

Translated from Slovenian, summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

At a glance

News Named sources In the courts
  • The prosecution confirmed that Matej Tonin invoked parliamentary immunity in the Knovs case.
  • The indictment against Tonin was dismissed because he invoked immunity, pending a decision from the European Parliament.
  • This move temporarily halts the criminal proceedings against Tonin, while three other NSi members face a finalized indictment.

Slovenian prosecutors have confirmed that European Parliament member Matej Tonin invoked parliamentary immunity, leading to the dismissal of an indictment against him. The case involves alleged abuse of office within the parliamentary committee for the oversight of intelligence and security services (Knovs).

For one accused who invoked immunity, the prosecution proposed the exclusion of criminal proceedings for expediency until the European Parliament decides on the granting or revocation of parliamentary immunity.

โ€” SDTThe Special State Prosecutor's Office explained the reasoning behind suspending the proceedings against Matej Tonin.

The Special State Prosecutor's Office (SDT) proposed the suspension of criminal proceedings against Tonin until the European Parliament decides on his immunity. Prosecutors explained this was done for procedural efficiency, to avoid delaying the trial for three other prominent New Slovenia (NSi) party members โ€“ Jernej Vrtovec, Janez ลฝakelj, and Joลพef Horvat โ€“ who face a finalized indictment for similar charges.

Because it is impossible to predict when the European Parliament will make a decision on immunity, the prosecution assessed that there were valid reasons for excluding criminal proceedings against this accused.

โ€” SDTThe prosecution elaborated on the procedural reasons for the temporary dismissal of the case against Tonin.

While Vrtovec, ลฝakelj, and Horvat did not claim immunity, Tonin's invocation creates a temporary procedural hurdle. The SDT stated that if the European Parliament revokes Tonin's immunity, the indictment can be re-filed. The charges stem from an unannounced inspection by Knovs members at the police in November 2023, where they reportedly checked if wiretaps were being used on individuals involved in the Dars affair.

In the event of revocation of immunity by the European Parliament, the SDT will be able to re-file the indictment against this accused.

โ€” SDTThe prosecution clarified the potential next steps in the case against Matej Tonin.

The NSi party maintains that its members acted lawfully within Knovs and believes this is a continuation of "political persecution." The indictment also included phone numbers of prominent NSi members, including the current Minister of Defense, Valentin Hajdinjak.

This is apparently a continuation of the 'political persecution of MPs'.

โ€” NSiThe New Slovenia party commented on the charges against its members.
DistantNews Editorial

Originally published by Delo in Slovenian. Translated, summarized, and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

More Stories

From Our Blog