Key facts
- The European Parliament's legal affairs committee voted against lifting Slovenian lawmaker Matej Tonin's immunity.
- Slovenian authorities sought to lift Tonin's immunity to investigate alleged abuse of office from 2023.
- Tonin served on Slovenia's parliamentary committee overseeing intelligence and security services.
- The committee cited potential political persecution and chronological inconsistencies in the Slovenian case.
- Tonin denied the allegations, calling the request baseless and unfounded.
- The decision requires ratification by the Parliament's plenary in September.
The European Parliament's legal affairs committee has voted to shield Slovenian lawmaker Matej Tonin from prosecution, overturning a request from Slovenian authorities to lift his parliamentary immunity. The decision, made by a bloc including the center-right European People's Party, the right-wing European Conservatives and Reformists, and the far-right Patriots and Europe of Sovereign Nations groups, cited concerns of political persecution and chronological inconsistencies in the case.
Slovenian authorities had requested Tonin's immunity be waived in January to allow an investigation into allegations of abuse of office dating back to 2023, when he served on a parliamentary committee overseeing intelligence and security services. Prosecutors allege Tonin improperly obtained information from the police regarding wiretaps in a bribery case, with the intent of securing benefits for himself and others. He also reportedly sought information on pre-trial proceedings.
Tonin has denied the allegations, stating that the request to lift his immunity was baseless and unfounded. He expressed satisfaction with the committee's thorough review of the documentation submitted by the Slovenian Specialized Prosecutor’s Office. The committee's decision not to recommend lifting his immunity now awaits ratification by the Parliament's plenary in September.