Bratislava, the capital city of Slovakia, has become the epicenter of nationwide protests as thousands of people take to the streets to demonstrate against proposed amendments to the penal code. Prime Minister Robert Fico's plan to eliminate the national prosecutors' office and make other significant changes has drawn sharp criticism both domestically and internationally.
Under the proposed amendments, the special prosecutors' office, which handles serious crimes such as graft, organized crime, and extremism, would be abolished. These cases would then be transferred to regional offices that have not dealt with such crimes for the past two decades. Critics argue that this move could undermine the effectiveness of the justice system in tackling high-profile criminal cases.
