By: C. R.
An Institute for the Protection of Victims of the 2022-26 Parliamentary Investigation has been established. Its founders include Bojan Požar, Jože Biščak, Franci Zavrl, Miran Videtič, Sebastjan Jeretič, Edvard Kadič, and Boris Tomašič.
The institute will operate to protect individuals whom, according to its founders, were unlawfully investigated by the parliamentary inquiry commission led by Tamara Vonta, as well as by the Freedom Movement (Gibanje Svoboda), with the support of The Left (Levica) and the Social Democrats (SD). The founders maintain that the commission seriously infringed upon the rights of witnesses, unlawfully examined business and personal financial accounts, and misused the institution of a parliamentary inquiry for the purpose of political retaliation against witnesses.
In addition to the criminal complaint already filed against Tamara Vonta, the institute will also file criminal complaints against Tomaž Modic, Vesna Vuković, and Peter Grum.
At the same time, the institute intends to take an active role in the referendum campaign concerning the law governing parliamentary inquiries. According to the founders, Vonta’s commission abused the legislation and gravely violated the rights of witnesses.
“A parliamentary inquiry can serve as a legitimate instrument of oversight only if it respects the rights of witnesses and those under investigation. When a parliamentary commission turns into a tool for political score-settling, victims must be protected and accountability must also be pursued through criminal law,” the founders of the institute stated.
In the coming days, the institute will present its next steps, including legal proceedings and its participation in the referendum campaign.