Slovakia: High-Ranking Politicians Launch Smear Campaign Against Zuzana Kovačič Hanzelová
Journalist discredited, insulted, doxxed, and harassed online
Location: Slovakia, Bratislava
Date: February 11, 2024
A vicious smear campaign instigated by leaders from Smer political party against Zuzana Kovačič Hanzelová following her innocuous and truthful commentary on the littering of an unnamed politician has escalated to a doxing attack against the journalist. The reprehensible attacks against Hanzelová highlight a deeply concerning trend where high-ranking politicians abuse their power to intimidate and silence critical voices within the media. The use of derogatory language, personal attacks, and slut-shaming tactics not only undermines press freedom but also creates a hostile environment for journalists, particularly women, who dare to speak truth to power. Women Press Freedom demands those responsible for instigating and perpetuating the smear campaign against Hanzelová to be held accountable for their actions. This includes legal repercussions for those engaging in cyberbullying and defamation.
"I am convinced that the price for being a public figure cannot be slander, slander, and hatred. If we play this game, we will drive normal people out of public life," says the editor of the SME daily Zuzana Kovačič Hanzelová.
Starting on February 11, 2024, high-ranking politicians from the Direction – Social Democracy (Smer) party launched a coordinated smear campaign against journalist Hanzelová. The campaign was led by Deputy Speaker of the Parliament and Vice Chair of Smer, Ľuboš Blaha, who used his Telegram channel to launch a series of scathing attacks.
“I am convinced that the price for being a public figure cannot be slander, slander, and hatred. If we play this game, we will drive normal people out of public life”
The catalyst for this disgraceful outburst was Hanzelová's commentary regarding an unnamed member of the Smer party, who was seen littering within the National Council premises. Instead of addressing the issue responsibly, Blaha chose to launch a personal vendetta against Hanzelová, hurling derogatory insults aimed at undermining her credibility, education, and integrity.
Hanzelová defended herself in a video posted on Instagram, reiterating the truthfulness of her report, and condemning the relentless attacks she faced. In her post, she inserted a recording from the National Council showing the MP sticking an empty wrapper into a gap between the benches and leaving it there.
"To all of this, I would like to add that women, including myself, have had to face indiscriminate attacks by politicians for years. For years, I've been listening to slut shaming about what I did, where, with whom," she says, adding that these are false and fabricated rumors that she is no longer willing to tolerate.
The assaults targeting her continued as other Smer members, including MPs Erik Kaliňák and Ján Mažgút, joined in denigrating Hanzelová's character through a video shared on social media platforms.
“For years, I’ve been listening to slut shaming about what I did, where, with whom”
The situation escalated when notorious conspiracy theorist Daniel Bombic, also known as Danny Kollár, published Hanzelová's personal phone number on his Telegram channel on February 15, 2024, and began launching degrading attacks against her, including vile edited photos of the journalist.
Bombic operates a Telegram channel known for spreading harmful far-right disinformation and promoting conspiracy theories related to COVID-19. He is currently facing legal action for extremism and cyberbullying, with a European arrest warrant issued against him. Despite this, Bombic has managed to gain support from influential right-wing politicians in Slovakia. His Telegram channel has also achieved significant popularity, becoming the most widely followed Slovak-language account on the platform.
The attacks targeting Zuzana Kovačič Hanzelová exemplify the abuse of power by high-ranking politicians to intimidate and silence journalists, particularly women, who challenge authority. This is a frequent tactic of right-wing politicians. Women Press Freedom has documented numerous cases in Europe of politicians initiating and amplifying attacks against critical women journalists. In Finland, Iltalehti’s Ida Erämaa was harassed online by right-wing politicians of the Finns Party after criticizing their attempts to curtail reporting on their extreme right connections. Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić and the leader of Republika Srpska in Bosnia Herzegovina, Milorad Dodik, have repeatedly attacked journalists and independent press outlets.
Women Press Freedom vehemently condemns the vicious, sexist, and dangerous attacks against Zuzana Kovačič Hanzelová by Smer politicians. The campaign to undermine the journalist has only served to amplify further harassment online and a despicable doxxing attack, which blatantly jeopardizes her safety. Those responsible for targeting Hanzelová, including politicians Ľuboš Blaha, Erik Kaliňák, and Ján Mažgút, must immediately cease their attacks and be held accountable for their actions. The unwarranted and malicious targeting of reporters for simply doing their job is utterly unacceptable, and those perpetrating such acts cannot be allowed to continue to do so without consequences.
Women Press Freedom is an initiative by The Coalition For Women In Journalism
The Coalition For Women In Journalism is a global organization of support for women journalists. The CFWIJ pioneered mentorship for mid-career women journalists across several countries around the world and is the first organization to focus on the status of free press for women journalists. We thoroughly document cases of any form of abuse against women in any part of the globe. Our system of individuals and organizations brings together the experience and mentorship necessary to help female career journalists navigate the industry. Our goal is to help develop a strong mechanism where women journalists can work safely and thrive.
If you have been harassed or abused in any way, and please report the incident by using the following form.