Slovak newspaper columnist Peter Schutz physically attacked 

Berlin, January 13, 2026—The Committee to Protect Journalists calls on Slovak authorities to conduct a thorough investigation into the physical attack on Peter Schutz, political commentator with the daily newspaper SME, and to swiftly determine whether he was targeted for his work.

“The attack on Peter Schutz is a deeply concerning development in an increasingly hostile environment for the press in Slovakia,” said Attila Mong, CPJ’s Europe representative. “Authorities must send a clear signal that violence against journalists will not be tolerated.”

On January 10, an unknown individual attacked Schutz from behind at a shopping mall in Košice, eastern Slovakia. He was struck on the head in a public restroom, fell to the floor, and was later found by a passerby. The attack resulted in a fractured femur that required surgery.

Schutz is one of Slovakia’s best-known columnists and has often criticized the current government, led by Prime Minister Robert Fico. Following the attack, Roman Krpelan, editor-in-chief of SME, called for a rigorous investigation into the motive.

While Slovak officials condemned the act of violence, some members of the ruling coalition coupled their statements with criticism of the journalist. Interior Minister Matúš Šutaj Eštok suggested Schutz’s own “polarizing” words helped “inflame emotions,” while Deputy Prime Minister Tomáš Taraba accused Schutz of “extremely aggressive statements towards people” and “regularly [dehumanizing] them,” and said the journalist should be in prison. Schutz sparked controversy in September 2025 by suggesting in an op-ed that the “most effective defense” against the Fico government was the “dehumanization” of its supporters, which led to a public backlash and an apology from the newspaper.

During a CPJ mission to Slovakia in 2024, journalists said they were facing an “orchestrated pattern” of abuse, with politicians verbally attacking reporters in public and online, with the politicians’ supporters amplifying the attacks on social media. Several journalists feared that such insults could easily escalate into physical violence, as it did in 2018 with the murder of investigative journalist Ján Kuciak.

Košice police have opened a criminal case into the assault. CPJ emailed a request for comment to the Slovak Ministry of Interior, which oversees the police, but did not receive a reply.