State prosecutors today questioned Valenčič as part of preliminary proceedings against him. Valenčič is suspected of revealing classified Sova (Slovenian Intelligence and Security Agency) intelligence in Koalicija sovraštva (Coalition of Hatred), a documentary that aired on TV Slovenia.

"The questioning was brief, about 15 minutes altogether, because I asserted my right to remain silent. I didn't answer any questions, so it was over quickly. I asserted my right to remain silent because I wasn't ready to reveal my sources," Valenčič told MMC. He was accompanied by his attorney Tomaž Toldi. Valenčič denied divulging classified information because the document he revealed did not have a classified label.

He said he had not published the original version of the Sova document on the activities of extremist groups in Slovenia—he said he had only used a censored version of the document in the documentary. Moreover, the producers of the documentary blacked out information that they thought could jeopardize Sova's activities. RTV Slovenia's legal team also okayed the documentary and signed off on it before it aired, Valenčič said, rejecting accusations that he revealed classified info in the documentary.

Valenčič: Why is Črnčec not being prosecuted?
Valenčič wonders why he is the one being prosecuted. "I wonder—and this is not a rhetorical question—why the prosecution does not prosecute Damir Črnčec. We have proven that the Sova report has been politically censored and tampered with. This is a very serious issue. However, it's interesting that neither he nor members of Janša's former cabinet have been prosecuted, even though it's obvious that it was they who censored the report," Valenčič said.

"They accuse me of being an extremist in order to avoid questions"
SDS leader Janez Janša meanwhile posted a tweet labelling Valenčič a potential terrorist. He sent the tweet to the American intelligence agency CIA and the Israeli Foreign Ministry.
Valenčič said in response to Janša's tweet that the SDS party accuses him of being an extremist in order to avoid questions about their ties with neo-Nazis. "They accuse me of being an extremist—which is a totally baseless accusation—so they wouldn't have to answer questions about what the documentary revealed, i.e. their ties with neo-Nazis, their tampering with Sova reports, but also the background of a 2012 riot provoked by a neo-Nazi group," Valenčič said.

Many journalists have declared their support for Valenčič. The Slovenian Journalists' Association, the Journal for the Criticism of Science, the Peace Institute and Amnesty International Slovenia have also expressed their support.

B. V., T. H.; translated by D. V.