Another prosecution of a judge linked to operation „Búrka (Storm)“ terminated after six years
On 11 June 2026, Eugen Palásthy, a judge of the Bratislava Regional Court, informed the President of the Judicial Council, Marcela Kosová, that the criminal prosecution against him had been finally discontinued by the prosecutor, who found sufficient grounds to conclude that he had not committed the alleged act.
The police operation „Búrka (Storm)“ was carried out in the early morning hours of 11 March 2020. It was preceded by a decision to bring charges issued on 9 March 2020, under which thirteen judges, one former judge, and four other individuals were charged primarily with the offences of bribery, accepting bribes, and interfering with the independence of the courts.
“I must repeatedly point out that the detained judges were effectively „found guilty“ almost immediately by various state officials, senior judicial figures, and many journalists. The presumption of innocence was cast aside. They were prevented from performing their judicial duties for years, and some remain barred from doing so to this day,“ said Marcela Kosová.
To date, none of the accused judges has been finally convicted following the assessment of evidence by a court. Instead, criminal proceedings against another judge have been finally terminated, after he had been barred from handling cases for six years.
“In a few weeks, the European Commission will publish its next Rule of Law Report. If anyone wants to know how the rule of law can be undermined, this is exactly how,“ concluded Marcela Kosová.
The police operation „Búrka (Storm)“ was carried out in the early morning hours of 11 March 2020. It was preceded by a decision to bring charges issued on 9 March 2020, under which thirteen judges, one former judge, and four other individuals were charged primarily with the offences of bribery, accepting bribes, and interfering with the independence of the courts.
“I must repeatedly point out that the detained judges were effectively „found guilty“ almost immediately by various state officials, senior judicial figures, and many journalists. The presumption of innocence was cast aside. They were prevented from performing their judicial duties for years, and some remain barred from doing so to this day,“ said Marcela Kosová.
To date, none of the accused judges has been finally convicted following the assessment of evidence by a court. Instead, criminal proceedings against another judge have been finally terminated, after he had been barred from handling cases for six years.
“In a few weeks, the European Commission will publish its next Rule of Law Report. If anyone wants to know how the rule of law can be undermined, this is exactly how,“ concluded Marcela Kosová.
