The defendants are Afghan national Mohammed G. P. and his cousin Darya K. S. Last year, the Specialised Criminal Court convicted both of preparing a premeditated murder jointly and sentenced each to eight years in prison. It also ordered property forfeited. Both men appealed.
The trial began in March 2022. The court initially acquitted the men, who are also reported to hold British citizenship. Slovakia’s Supreme Court overturned that acquittal and returned the case for reconsideration.
According to the indictment, the pair travelled to Slovakia several times from August 2018, gathered information about the woman and prepared to kill her. Prosecutors said the alleged motive was her departure from their shared household for Austria and Slovakia, her marriage to a Jewish man, her conversion from Islam, and her work making pornographic films. Both defendants have previously denied guilt.
The Supreme Court is due to consider the appeals on 20 October. The lower court’s conviction remains subject to review.