Slovakia SC dismisses request to ban far-right party

Slovakia's Supreme Court has dismissed a request by the country's prosecutor general, Jaromir Cizna, to ban a far-right party. The party has 14 seats in the country's parliament.

Bratislava (Slovakia): Slovakia's Supreme Court has dismissed a request by the country's prosecutor general, Jaromir Cizna, to ban a far-right party that has 14 seats in the country's parliament.

In his request filed two years ago, Cizna said the far-right People's Party Our Slovakia is an extremist group whose activities violate the country's constitution.

But the court ruled Monday he failed to provide enough evidence for the ban. The verdict is final.

The People's Party Our Slovakia, lead by Marion Kotleba, openly admires the Nazi puppet state that the country was during World War II.

Party members use Nazi salutes, blame Roma for crime in deprived areas, consider NATO a terror group and want the country out of the alliance and the European Union.

Kotelba said on Monday the court findings confirmed his party as a "legitimate political party involved in a democratic way in the political system of Slovakia."

Meanwhile, demonstrators gathered outside the courthouse to protest the party's ideology.

If granted, it would have been the first ban on a parliamentary party.