Jansa Criticised for Accusing Slovenian Agency Director of Murder

The International Press Institute, IPI, on Friday accused Prime Minister Janez Jansa of putting intense pressure on Bojan Veselinovic, director of the Slovenian Press Agency, STA, saying that this pressure "reaches worrying new heights".

"In an extremely serious attack, Jansa accused the head of country's press agency of being a 'collaborator' in the 'murder' of a former STA editor," IPI wrote on Twitter.

On Thursday, Jansa posted a tweet saying that it was "amazing for the EU in the 21st century that a collaborator in the murder of a journalist is still leading the STA and therefore cashes in 8,500 euros per month, more than the president of the republic."

The murder allegation refers to Borut Mesko, editor-in-chief of the STA in the late-2000s who was axed in November 2009 due to his failure to draw up strategic plans for the agency and who died the following year.

Veselinovic said Jansa's comments clearly crossed a line and announced criminal charges as a private plaintiff and a civil defamation suit against the Prime Minister.

The independent public news agency was established in 1991 and its founder is the Republic of Slovenia. It has been engaged for some time in a dispute with the current right-wing government over its funding, which the Government Communications Office, UKOM, stopped.

UKOM suspended financing because the agency had allegedly failed to deliver documents based on which it would be possible to determine a fair financing arrangement.

The agency insists that all the required documents are available to the government and relevant supervisory bodies.

Some observers believe Jansa's government is putting pressure on the agency to change its editorial policy by weaponising the funding issue.