Slovaks rally against plan to disband graft prosecutor's office

Demonstrators take part in a protest against the government's proposal to cancel a branch of prosecution which the opposition says will let serious economic crimes remain unpunished and protect government figures, in Bratislava, Slovakia, January 11, 2024. REUTERS/Radovan Stoklasa

BRATISLAVA (Reuters) - Thousands of Slovaks rallied in nearly 20 towns and cities on Thursday to protest against Prime Minister Robert Fico's efforts to close down a special prosecution office that investigates high-profile crime, including cases close to the prime minister.

The protests, called by pro-western liberal and conservative opposition parties and civic activists, were the fourth to take place since Fico proposed rapidly reforming prosecution and criminal law in December, something that has also raised concerns at the European Commission and in the United States.