The three filed their claims for damages in June. In September, the State’s Attorney’s Office offered them a settlement, but the three rejected it because it was for substantially less than they sought.

Ivan Črnkovič is demanding €13 million for 184 days in prison, and Janez Janša €900,000 for 145 days in prison. Anton Krkovič, who spent 259 days in prison, is demanding €600,000.

Janša and Krkovič are to sue the state for the time they wrongfully spent in prison. Črnkovič is, moreover, to sue the state for the financial losses his company suffered.

If all else fails, they will sue
Jože Hribernik, Krkovič’s attorney, said that the State’s Attorney’s Office offered them a settlement, but it was “ridiculously low”. Anton Krkovič was offered €35,280, a sum Hribernik dismissed as unacceptable.

They told the State’s Attorney’s Office that they would accept payment in instalments – €35,280 being the first instalment – but they’re still waiting for a better offer from the State’s Attorney’s Office. If all else fails, they will sue the state. The three are entitled to damages because the Ljubljana District Court ruled that the case was barred by the statute of limitations.

In 2007, Martin Uhernik was awarded €460,000 for wrongfully spending 7 years in prison – the highest amount of damages ever awarded in such a case in Slovenia.