Kotleba pleads not guilty, court to hear historian's testimony

Head of the People's Party Our Slovakia (LSNS) Marian Kotleba, who is currently being tried for extremism-related crimes linked to the distribution of three charity cheques worth 1,488 euros in 2017, pleaded not guilty on Thursday. Following Kotleba's plea, single judge Ruzena Sabova allowed the testimony of historian Jakub Drabik, who is the author of a book called 'Fascism' and who calls Kotleba and his party fascists in interviews, to be admitted as evidence. Kotleba himself has declined to provide any testimony at this time, although he said that he would do so later. According to the legal qualification that the judge is considering, Kotleba could be imprisoned for up to eight years.