News

24 Nov 2021, 14:32 PM

STA, 24 November 2021 - During the past two weeks of heightened inspection, the Market Inspectorate has temporarily shut down nine shops and gas stations due to failures to check the Covid pass, bringing the total of such cases so far to 15.

In 19 cases, the inspectorate found failures to observe mask-wearing and implement the recovered-vaccinated-tested (PCT) rule among staff, said Slovenia's chief market inspector Martina Gašperlin, adding that such cases were a minority.

In the past two weeks, inspections were carried out at 1,200 venues, including some 260 over both weekends, with most of them being shops.

Minor irregularities were found in 265 cases, resulting in 183 warnings requiring the operators to remedy the situation. "It is important for us to give a warning and if things are remedied, that is fine by us," Gašperlin told Wednesday's Covid briefing.

In some cases, the infractions were not remedied despite a warning, so the inspectorate issued 20 fines, totalling just over EUR 83,200.

"The most frequent cases were that the taxable persons did not check the PCT condition, including twelve such cases at gas stations, three in clothing shops and five in other types of shops," she said.

In nine cases, the inspectors deemed that the irregularities posed such a risk to public health and people's lives that they imposed a temporary closure of the facility until the situation is remedied.

A total of 15 such decisions have been issued in the course of the enhanced supervision so far, mainly in cases where customers' Covid passes were not being checked, Gašperlin said, adding that in recent weeks adherence to the rules had improved.

24 Nov 2021, 12:14 PM

STA, 24 November 2021 - Marko Grilc, one of the most accomplished Slovenian snowboarders, has been killed in a snowboarding accident in the Austrian ski resort of Sölden. Media reports say he was part of a film crew inspecting a site for filming as fell and hit his head on a snow-covered rock in a closed section of the resort.

While the Austrian police reported on Tuesday only that a Slovenian snowboarder was killed near Sölden, the 24ur web portal of the Slovenian commercial broadcaster POP TV said it was Grilc.

According to the Austrian press agency APA, the snowboarder fell while descending a slope in deep snow as the film crew was preparing to shoot a scene, suffering a fatal head injury.

The police said that the 38-year-old from Ljubljana was not wearing a helmet. He lost his balance and hit a snow-covered rock either with his face or his head.

The accompanying crew tried to resuscitate him, but the first responding medical team could only determine death as they arrived at the scene, the APA said on Tuesday.

According to 24ur.com, the Austrian newspaper Kronen Zeitung reported that the unfortunate snowboarder and the film crew were on tour skiing in Sölden to inspect the terrain for the shoot.

Grilc is considered one of the most accomplished Slovenian freestyle snowboarders. He has four podium finishes in the World Cup, with the sole victory coming in London in 2010 in acrobatic jumps.

In recent years, he shot snowboarding videos and promoted the sport among the youth, while also advertising several commercial brands, 24ur says.

Grilc got injured in 2016 while snowboarding in Austria. He was taken to hospital in Schladming by helicopter after suffering a back injury. He said at the time that "he was snowboarding with angels."

He has been survived by his wife Nina, who is pregnant with their third child, and two small children, the N1 web portal said.

24 Nov 2021, 12:02 PM

STA, 24 November 2021 - Slovenian artist Jasmina Cibic has won the 2021 Jarman Award handed out by Film London, worth EUR 10,000. The jury highlighted her projects NADA and The Gift, which was recently screened at the London Film Festival.

Cibic was announced the winner of the award at a special event at the Regent Street Cinema on Tuesday evening.

Based in London, Cibic (1979) works in film, sculpting, performance and installation. She broaches important global issues such as national identity, emergence of a state, soft power and relations within Europe in her works.

She picks monumental architectural locations for the shooting of her films such as the French Communist Party Headquarters, a work by esteemed architect Oscar Niemeyer, or the Palace of Nations in Geneva.

She builds dialogues based on transcripts of political debates and speeches and often includes dance in her films, said Film London, which hands out the award with the support of the Arts Council England and the Whitechapel Gallery.

In her short film The Gift (2021), Cibic presents an allegorical story, a competition among the Artist, Diplomat and Engineer, on which art form would best cure a divided society.

Teaser for 'The Gift', Jasmina Cibic, 2021 from Film London on Vimeo.

Four women, who represent the four liberties from Roosevelt's 1941 Four Freedoms speech - the freedom of speech, freedom of worship, freedom from want, freedom from fear - talk to the candidates.

"Through unfolding the complex entanglements of art, gender and state power, she encourages viewers to consider the strategies employed in the construction of national culture," Film London says on its website.

Jasmina Cibic in interview: The Foundation of Endeavour, Museum of Contemporary Art Metelkova, Ljubljana, November 2020 from jasmina cibic on Vimeo.

The film trilogy NADA (2016-2018) studies three star architects of European Modernism and the role that their works have played with the national representation in decisive moments of Europe's history.

They include the unrealised project by Vjenceslav Richter for the Yugoslavian pavilion at the world expo in Brussels in 1958, the Arne Jacobsen City Hall and the 1920s architecture by Ludwig Mies van der Rohe in Krefeld.

The artist, who exhibits around the world, has received several international awards and represented Slovenia at the 55th Venice International Art Exhibition with the project For Our Economy and Culture.

Inspired by Derek Jarman, the Jarman Award recognises and supports artists working with moving image and celebrates the spirit of experimentation, imagination and innovation in the work of artist filmmakers in the UK.

Last year the award was divided between Michelle Williams Gamaker, Hannah Quinlan and Rosie Hastings, and Jenn Nkiru, Project Art Works, Larissa Sansour and Andrea Luka Zimmerman.

The artist’s website

24 Nov 2021, 04:58 AM

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This summary is provided by the STA

Coronavirus infections keep receding

LJUBLJANA - Slovenia logged 3,394 new coronavirus cases for Monday as infections kept receding week-on-week for the fourth day. However, Covid-19 claimed 23 more lives and ICU cases kept climbing. Data released by the government show hospitalisations dropping slightly to 1,154 as the number of patients treated in intensive care increased by ten from the day before to 285, just below the current capacity. The 7-day average of new infections dropped to 3,090 but the 14-day was still slightly up to 2,125.

Govt's tour of Pomurje region focuses on agriculture projects and youth drain

MURSKA SOBOTA - The government toured the north-easternmost region of Pomurje, discussing various projects, including in agriculture, the leading industry in the area, as well as challenges, such as efforts to convince young people to stay in the region. Apart from visiting companies in the region, PM Janez Janša met representatives of the Hungarian minority in Pomurje and visited the Murska Sobota diocese of the Evangelical Church in Slovenia where he met Bishop Leon Novak. The visit concluded with a public debate in Lendava, dedicated to the development of the region.

Top health officials warn about possibility of fifth Covid wave

LJUBLJANA - Health Minister Janez Poklukar and the head of the Medical Chamber Bojana Beović warned about the possibility of the fifth wave of Covid infections, with Poklukar saying he thought that another wave could emerge in February next year as a result of an insufficient vaccination rate. Beović told Radio Slovenija earlier that the Covid pass mandate could be amended to make booster doses mandatory. Asked when this change could be put in place, she said that given the epidemiological situation, Slovenia would "surely be among the countries that will be quicker to make such a change".

Hojs discusses fighting terrorism at Atlas network meeting

LJUBLJANA - Interior Minister Aleš Hojs hosted a meeting of the ATLAS Commanders Forum, attended by representatives of the special police units from the EU member states. Hojs said that terrorism was placed high on the EU priority list and that the role of ATLAS network was important as well. "Terrorism is changing. It is becoming increasingly fragmented, dispersed and thus unpredictable. With this in mind, it is essential to react and respond together and in time," Hojs said in his opening address.

Opposition urges emergency session on higher care home fees

LJUBLJANA - The centre-left opposition requested an emergency parliamentary session to urge the government to provide the missing EUR 16 million to cover a pay rise for social care workers by reallocating budget funds and not by raising care home fees. Presenting the request prepared by the Left and backed by the Marjan Šarec Party (LMŠ), Social Democrats (SD) and Alenka Bratušek Party (SAB), Left MP Miha Kordiš said the rise resulted in higher fees for care home residents. The fees, which are to go up by 5.6% according to government estimates, are already quite high, said Kordiš, as they stand at EUR 680 on average.

Slovenia remembers defender of its northern border

LJUBLJANA - Slovenia is observing Rudolf Maister Day, remembering the general who established the first Slovenian army in modern history and secured what later became Slovenia's northern border. The holiday commemorates the day in 1918 when Maister (1874-1934) took control of Maribor. A few events marked the holiday, including open day at the Presidential Palace in Ljubljana and President Borut Pahor's address, and laying of a wreath at the General Maister Memorial at the Defence Ministry.

Consumer confidence down for fifth straight month

LJUBLJANA - Slovenia's consumer confidence indicator is down for the fifth consecutive month in November, dropping by 2 percentage points over the month before. But it is up by 7 percentage points compared to November 2020, the Statistics Office said. The monthly drop in the confidence indicator is attributed to more pessimistic consumer expectations about the country's economy (down by 9 p.p.), and about household finances (down by 1 p.p.).

Slovenia drops to 8th place in design creativity in SE Europe

LJUBLJANA - Slovenia ranks 8th in creativity in architecture and interior, product and fashion design in Southeast Europe, found this year's creativity barometer by the Zavod Big organisation and the Museum of Architecture and Design. The country's ranking is down three spots compared to last year. The main criteria was, among other factors, the number and status of international awards received for creative efforts and the number of employees in the relevant fields compared to the total population.

Survey shows 27% of employees in Slovenia experienced fraud

LJUBLJANA - The results of a survey on the frequency of fraud in the public and private sector in Slovenia, conducted in November by PwC Slovenia, show that just over a quarter of respondents reported an occurrence of fraud or suspected fraud in their organisation in the last three years. Over the last three years, an average of just over three cases of fraud or suspected fraud were recorded in the organisations where survey respondents work. One of the key findings of the survey is that just over a quarter (27%) of all respondents reported an occurrence or suspected occurrence of fraud in the company where they work.

23 Nov 2021, 13:45 PM

STA, 23 November 2021 - Slovenia logged 3,394 new coronavirus cases for Monday as infections kept receding week-on-week for the fourth consecutive day. However, Covid-19 has claimed 23 more lives and ICU cases keep climbing, data released by the government show.

A total of 1,154 patients were hospitalised with Covid-19 this morning, eight fewer then yesterday. However, the number of those treated in intensive care increased by ten to 285.

The latter figure is just below the current Covid ICU capacity of 288 beds but the capacity is expected to be expanded.

With the daily count of newly confirmed infections dropping by 10% from the same day a week ago, the rolling 7-day average dropped further to 3,090, down by over 50 from the day before.

The cumulative 14-day incidence was still slightly up, by two to 2,125, and the estimated number of active cases rose by about 50 to almost 44,800, according to the National Institute of Public Health.

The PCR test positivity rate remains high at 46%.

Vaccination is progressing slowly, with 1,139,108 people or 54% of the population fully inoculated. This means 64% of adults or 75% of the over 50-year-olds.

According to the government, 242,219 people have received a booster shot.

Get all the latest data on covid and Slovenia

23 Nov 2021, 11:16 AM

STA, 23 November - Slovenia observes Rudolf Maister Day on Tuesday, remembering the general who established the first Slovenian army in modern history and secured what later became Slovenia's northern border. The holiday commemorates the day in 1918 when Maister (1874-1934) took control of Maribor.

Following the break-up of the Austro-Hungarian empire, Major Maister prevented Maribor and the Podravje region from being made part of German Austria, the country created after WWI comprising areas of the former empire with a predominantly German-speaking population.

On 30 October 1918, the German city council declared Maribor and its surroundings part of German Austria, which Maister found unacceptable. He set up a Slovenian army of 4,000 soldiers, disarmed the German Schutzwehr security service, and disbanded the militia of the German city council.

The general then occupied Slovenian ethnic territory, establishing the northern border between Austria and Yugoslavia that was later ratified by the Saint Germain Peace Treaty. The same border still runs between Slovenia and Austria today.

Maister is buried at Maribor's Pobrežje Cemetery. Until recently, he had a modest grave but on the eve of the holiday a new tomb holding his remains was unveiled.

A few events have been scheduled to mark the holiday, including open day at the Presidential Palace in Ljubljana and a round table in Škofja Loka dedicated to fighters from Škofja Loka area who fought under him.

Rudolf Maister Day has been a public holiday since 2005, although not as a bank holiday.

23 Nov 2021, 08:46 AM

STA, 22 November 2021 - Igor Samobor, the director of Ljubljana's SNG Drama theatre, has resigned due to what he described as government foot-dragging over the badly needed renovation of the building of Slovenia's largest theatre.

In a resignation statement circulated Monday, Samobor says preparations for a renovation and extension of the theatre's building in the centre of Ljubljana had been proceeding since 2012, but then ground to a halt when Vasko Simoniti became the culture minister last year.

An architectural design has been selected, an adjacent building purchased and everything was ready for the acquisition of a building permit, but then Simoniti deferred financing despite the theatre having fulfilled all its obligations, according to Samobor.

Samobor accuses Simoniti of a series of "arbitrary decisions" and says it is impossible to act in such an environment. He decided to resign because "there is a chance that the negative attitude by the minister is of a personal, not general nature".

The SNG Drama theatre is in bad shape and was severely flooded during record rains that hit the Slovenian capital in late September, highlighting the need for renovation.

Samobor, a prominent actor, was named director in April 2013.

23 Nov 2021, 05:11 AM

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This summary is provided by the STA

Justice Minister Dikaučič survives no-confidence vote

LJUBLJANA - Marjan Dikaučič remains justice minister after 42 MPs voted in favour of a motion of no confidence, four short of the required majority. He was endorsed by 28 MPs as several deputy groups, including the junior coalition NSi, abstained. The motion focused on his responsibility for publishing an unlawful public call for applications for the appointment of two European delegated prosecutors, and of tolerating "inadmissible delays by the government, its selective approaches and political motives in the appointment". The minister dismissed all allegations saying his work was not the actual basis for the criticism, rather he was facing the motion only because he is a minister in the current government. He said he now wanted to focus on completing the appointment of delegated prosecutors and Slovenia's EU presidency.

Memorial to Slovenian-Croatia independence efforts unveiled

OTOČEC - A memorial in honour of the period when Slovenia and Croatia were gaining independence was unveiled with both countries' prime ministers Janez Janša and Andrej Plenković in attendance. The memorial commemorates the bilateral meetings and cooperation between Slovenia and Croatia, honouring and celebrating the 30th anniversary of independence of both countries. The prime ministers underlined the importance of cooperation and friendly relations. Janša said that any outstanding issues could be resolved through dialogue, good cooperation and friendship, while Croatia's Plenković said the two countries were the best of neighbours and friends.

Hojs dismisses allegations of politicisation of police

LJUBLJANA - Appearing in a televised current affairs show on Sunday, Interior Minister Aleš Hojs rejected allegations about the police organisation changes being an attempt to politicise the force. Hojs sees the new law as the first step towards a more professional police that would reduce any political interference, whereas the opposition maintains the opposite. He also said that during the previous government, the proposal had been talked about and included lower-rank changes on top of the current ones.

Slovenia lends over 40,000 Pfizer vaccine doses to Croatia

LJUBLJANA - The government decided to lend Croatia 40,950 doses of the Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine against Covid-19 in response to the neighbouring country's request for 40,000 doses. The donation will be made in the form of a dual donation - first by Slovenia to Croatia and the other in the form of Croatia returning the vaccine to Slovenia by 31 December, a release issued after the government's correspondence session said. The donation is in response to Croatia seeing a big increase in interest in vaccination.

Pahor congratulates Bulgarian president on re-election

LJUBLJANA - President Borut Pahor congratulated Bulgarian President Rumen Radev on his re-election. The presidents also discussed the Covid-19 pandemic and stressed the importance of efforts by both Slovenia and Bulgaria to raise vaccination rates. They also discussed potential further steps in the search for a compromise solution on Bulgaria's blockade of North Macedonia's EU accession talks that would be acceptable to both sides.

Slovenia wants Belarus to remain high on EU's agenda

VIENNA, Austria - Foreign Minister Anže Logar said Belarus should remain high on the agenda of the EU and the international community as he condemned the Belarus regime and expressed support for democratisation of the country at a conference in Vienna. Logar called on the Belarus authorities to end the violence and persecution, immediately release all unlawfully detained political prisoners, investigate all human rights abuses, and make sure perpetrators are brought to justice.

New infections down for 3rd day running

LJUBLJANA - Slovenia saw its daily coronavirus count drop on the week before for the third straight day as 1,389 cases were confirmed on Sunday. However, more than half of the PCR tests were positive, and beds available for intensive treatment of Covid-19 patients are all but full as 1,162 Covid patients were treated in hospitals this morning, including 275 in intensive care, after 16 more patients died. Should the ICU figure top 288, a state of extreme emergency would be declared in healthcare, said Health Minister Janez Poklukar.

Most schools compliant with Covid rules

LJUBLJANA - The Education and Sport Inspectorate carried out 121 inspections in November to find 11 cases of irregularities in compliance with measures to prevent the spread of coronavirus, Chief Schools Inspector Simon Slokan said on Monday. Five schools were non-compliant but corrected things before re-inspections, and one school was temporarily shut down for non-compliance. It will be allowed to reopen once everything is found to be in order.

Court says reading Constitution at protest was minor offence

LJUBLJANA - The Ljubljana Local Court has dismissed a case against author and comedian Andrej Rozman Roza over his involvement in a protest reading of the Constitution in front of Parliament House in June 2020. The court said that this was minor offence that did not endanger anyone. It ruled on the matter after Rozman, who was fined for reading the Constitution at the anti-government protest along with several other intellectuals, lodged an appeal on a point of law.

Ljubljana drama theatre director resigns

LJUBLJANA - Igor Samobor, the director of Ljubljana's SNG Drama theatre, resigned due to what he described as government foot-dragging over the badly needed renovation of the building of Slovenia's largest theatre. In a resignation statement circulated Monday, Samobor says preparations for a renovation and extension of the theatre's building in the centre of Ljubljana had been proceeding since 2012, but then ground to a halt when Vasko Simoniti became the culture minister.

Renovated tomb of General Maister unveiled in Maribor

MARIBOR - After years of controversy and negotiations, the renovated tomb of General Rudolf Maister (1874 - 1934), the decorated Slovene military officer, poet and political activist, was unveiled at the Maister family grave at the Pobrežje cemetery in Maribor. The unveiling took place a day before 23 November, the anniversary of the date in 1918 when Maister's fighters seized control of the city of Maribor and the surrounding region of Lower Styria, thus protecting the northern Slovenian border.

Slovenia's independence subject of award-winning picture book

LJUBLJANA - This year's Kristina Brenk Prize for best original picture book goes to Osamosvojitev (Independence), a book by historian Nataša Strlič illustrated by Damijan Stepančič that deals with Slovenia's independence efforts and was published on the 30th anniversary of independence. The book offers an insight into the life and developments in Slovenia between 1980 and 1992.

All defendants in sawn-off hand case plead guilty

LJUBLJANA - The retrial in the infamous sawn-off hand insurance fraud case saw Julija Adlešič - the woman whose hand was sawn off - her partner Sebastien Abramov, and his parents all pleading guilty and receiving prison sentences. Adlešič and Abramov will spend 19 and 29 months in prison, respectively. Both have already served most of their sentences in custody.

Russia and Ukraine European chess champions

ČATEŽ OB SAVI - Russia and Ukraine were crowned European chess champions, respectively in the women's and open categories, as the European Team Chess Championship closed in Slovenia on Sunday evening. Among women, Georgia won silver and bronze went to Azerbaijan, whereas among men, France was second and Poland finished in third place. Slovenia's women team was 18th and men's team 32nd.

Javelin thrower Ratej withdraws appeal against doping sanction

LJUBLJANA - Martina Ratej, the Slovenian record holder in javelin, has withdrawn an appeal against doping accusations and accepted a two-year ban on competing effective from March 2020. All the results she achieved between 2012 and 2014 have been deleted from official records, in what is now a final decision.

Average gross pay in September decreases

LJUBLJANA - The average gross pay in Slovenia in September stood at EUR 1,873, while the average net pay was EUR 1,210. Both the gross pay net pay were down 1.4% nominally and 1.3% in real terms compared to August, the Statistics Office said. The average gross pay and the average net pay decreased in both the public and the private sector.

22 Nov 2021, 16:28 PM

STA, 22 November 2021 - Slovenia's Education and Sport Inspectorate carried out 121 inspections in November to find 11 cases of irregularities in compliance with measures to prevent the spread of coronavirus, Chief Schools Inspector Simon Slokan said on Monday. One school was temporarily shut down for non-compliance.

Slokan reiterated that "the introduction of self-testing in schools is a specific situation that we have not seen before". Since the self-testing measure came into force last week, the inspectorate carried out 43 inspections and found major non-compliance in five cases.

"These five schools did not arrange self-testing for children, they failed to obtain parental consent, and did not properly arrange distance learning for children without consent," Slokan explained.

The inspectorate issued verbal warnings to those schools and urged them to take immediate action. They were later subjected to re-inspections, and it was mostly found that they have started addressing their issues.

Only one school failed to follow the inspectorate's warnings, and the inspectorate ordered by decree that the whole school switches to distance learning until 3 December or until irregularities are resolved.

The Education Ministry confirmed to the STA that the school in question was a private school in central Slovenia, but added that more information could not be disclosed.

Meanwhile, the inspectorate found that 38 out of 43 schools made excellent preparations for the implementation of the measures. Slokan also reiterated that head teachers and school staff are not the ones who set the rules, but have a responsibility to respect and implement them.

Threats, protests and unnecessary pressure from parents are only bringing unrest - with the children feeling the brunt of it, said Slokan, reiterating his call for parents to be held accountable. He believes that the common goal of everybody is quality education.

"The inspectorate will continue to ensure that everyone entering a kindergarten or school complies with all required measures, because this is the only way to ensure a safe and stimulating space for all and that lessons can continue to take place in schools," concluded Slokan.

22 Nov 2021, 13:22 PM

STA, 22 November 2021 - The 37th Slovenian Book Fair (Slovenski knižnji sejem) will be launched in the virtual realm on Monday evening and will run until 5 December. The online platform will deliver some 60 events, including talks with authors who have left an indelible mark on the Slovenian literary scene.

Right until the very last minute, the organisers had not been sure whether to hold the fair online or in-person. Under the current Covid restrictions, the latter option could have been realised in theory, however due to the poor epidemiological situation in the country and practically zero options in practice, the fair will be held online for the second year in a row.

The organisers argued the main problem was mandatory distance between exhibitors and visitors as well as one-way flow of visitor traffic, which would, they said, make life more difficult for both sides.

This year's fair, held under the slogan Books Connect, will still feature the majority of Slovenian publishers who have applied to take part in what was first expected to be an in-person format of the fair.

The virtual version will deliver talks with authors whose books have attracted wide readership, including Erica Johnson Debeljak, Bronja Žakelj and Goran Vojnović. There will be a segment dedicated to children as well, spearheaded by author Andrej Rozman - Roza.

A number of awards will be conferred during the festival. The first to have been presented was the award for best debut, which went to Natalija Milovanović for her poetry collection Samoumevno (Taken for Granted).

Learn more at the website

22 Nov 2021, 10:40 AM

STA, 22 November 2021 - The retrial in the infamous sawn-off hand insurance fraud case continued on Monday, with Julija Adlešič - the woman whose hand was sawn off, her partner Sebastien Abramov, and his parents all pleading guilty. The Ljubljana District Court found the defendants guilty and sentenced them to prison terms.


The prosecution reached a plea agreement with the defendants on Monday, proposing a prison sentence of one year and seven months for Julija Adlešič and two years and five months for Sebastien Abramov.

The court upheld the prosecution's proposal, sentencing Adlešič and Abramov to prison sentences after their admission of guilt. They have already served most of their sentences in custody.

Abramov's parents, Tinka Huskić Colarič and Gorazd Colarič, were also found guilty by the court. Abramov's mother received a suspended sentence of one year and six months, while his father was given a suspended sentence of one year, with a probationary period of three years.

Adlešič and Abramov were already found guilty of insurance fraud by the Ljubljana District Court in September last year, convicted of having previously agreed that Adlešič would cut off her arm in order to receive a large compensation.

They took out insurance policies with five insurance companies under which, if Adlešič had been 100% disabled as a result of severing her arm, she would have received EUR 1,166,300 in compensation.

Last year, the court sentenced Adlešič to two years in prison, and Abramov to three years. His father, who was accused of taking part in the scheme, was also found guilty and got a one-year suspended sentence on two-year probation, while Abramov's mother was found not guilty.

But then the Ljubljana Higher Court overturned the first-instance sentences in July, with the explanation that the situation regarding the cause of Adlešič's injury was not sufficiently clarified.

After the retrial that took place today, Judge Marjeta Dvornik said that the guilty pleas by the defendants marked an important turning point, as that significantly speeded up and simplified the proceedings.

She added that their crimes were a reflection of the values in our society, where the need and greed for material goods seem to be increasingly emphasised.

The court acquitted the defendants of all court costs on the grounds of their poor social situation, except for a payment of around EUR 60 that will have to be paid by Huskić Colarič for costs incurred through her fault.

The defendants were not present when the verdict was handed down, and the ruling is not yet final - any potential appeals will be considered by the parties involved.

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