Slovak Court Acquits Indian Charged with Murder

A regional court in Slovak has acquitted an Indian-origin man accused of killing a person in a knife attack in 2017 saying he acted in self-defense. The court has ordered his release from custody.

The Bratislava I Regional Court has set free Nishit T., a Slovak citizen of Indian origin in the case of a knife attack in which one person was killed, Slovak newspaper Spectator reported.

According to the publication, Nishit was involved in a brawl with two men in October 2017 in Bratislava during which he used a knife, injuring both his attackers. One of the injured persons called Branislav, later died in a hospital of neck injuries.

The police arrested Nishit within minutes and charged him with murder and bodily harm.

Nishit argued in the court saying that it was a racist attack and he had acted in self-defense, the publication reported.

Judge Michal Kačáni said that Nishit’s act fulfils the conditions and attributes of self-defense and has ordered his release from police custody.  The prosecution, though, has challenged Nishit’s acquittal, the publication said quoting a report in SITA, a local news agency.

Judge Kačáni said that it was obvious that Nishit was attacked and in such a case, it is possible to consider the use of a knife against one or more as an appropriate use of force for self-defense.

The newspaper also said that while the court has not upheld the opinion that this was a racist attack, it has, however not excluded the possibility that the defendant perceived it as such, Judge Kačáni said.