Interior Minister Loses Court Case Over Police Chief Dismissal

Slovakia's Interior Minister Matúš Šutaj Eštok lost another court battle related to his dismissal of police officials, with the Administrative Court in Bratislava ruling that he unlawfully removed a police chief named Svítok from office. The court's decision is legally binding. This represents the latest in a series of legal defeats for Šutaj Eštok in cases involving police personnel changes, specifically those connected to what are known as 'čurillovci' - referring to supporters or associates of former police chief Milan Lučanský, who was nicknamed 'Čurilla.' The ongoing legal disputes highlight tensions within Slovakia's law enforcement leadership and questions over the minister's authority to make personnel decisions within the police force.