STA, 24 July 2019 - The Specialised State Prosecution has filed an indictment against 18 persons in connection with a prostitution ring that was operating near Nova Gorica and was cracked by police in January. The prime suspect is said to be businessmen Sergej Racman, the former owner of the cinema chain operator Kolosej.

The indictment comes after the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) said in January it completed a four-year investigation into prostitution, human trafficking and drug abuse in the areas of Nova Gorica and Maribor.

According to Wednesday's report by the newspaper Večer, 413 girls, mostly from Romania, Ukraine, Albania and the former Yugoslavia, had been abused for prostitution in the Marina Sauna Club near Nova Gorica.

Between August 2014 and January this year around 150,000 men visited the club, paying an entrance fee of 60 to 85 euros. A total of EUR 21 million in illegal gains are believed to have made in the process.

The prosecution claims the ring was led by entrepreneurs Jože Kojc, Dejan Šurbek and Racman, with the latter still being at large despite having a detention warrant issued against him.

Siol.net reported that Racman is unofficially away on business abroad. He has officially been living in Slovakia since 2013. An international arrest warrant has not yet been issued.

Prostitution was decriminalised in Slovenia 2003, but only for those providing the services voluntarily, without procurement and coercion.

NBI deputy director David Antolovič told the press in January that "the suspects controlled the victims at all times and set the price of their sexual services". If they failed to obey, they were barred from the premises, he said.

The abuse of prostitution carries a prison sentence of three to 15 years, human trafficking three to 12 years and drug trafficking one to 10 years.

Other stories on this case can be found here

STA, 24 July - Telekom Slovenije posted a net profit of EUR 19.6 million for the first half of the year, an increase of 35%, even as sales revenue declined 5% to EUR 340.6 million, the company said on Wednesday.

Group profit before income tax, depreciation and amortisation (EBITDA) rose 11% to EUR 112.3 million and pre-tax profit (EBIT) surged 41% to EUR 23.8 million.

The company said sales revenue was down due to the sale of Blicnet, which was completed in the second half of the year, and lower revenue from fixed segment of the end-user market, primarily due to the completion of the Slovenian e-tolling system in 2018.

Telekom having offloaded most of its foreign subsidiaries in recent years, leaving it only with the Kosovo operator Ipko, the bulk of the sales and profit it generated in Slovenia; Kosovo accounts for less than a tenth of group revenue.

But the interim report also shows the group's position deteriorated overall, with the number of fixed and mobile retail connections dropping by about 2% in Slovenia and Kosovo, and broadband connections down 2% in Slovenia and as much as 7% in Kosovo.

In the first quarter of the year, the latest period for which data is available, Telekom remained market leader in all major segments but it continued to lose market share.

In the key mobile telephony segment, its market share contracted by 3.4 percentage point at the annual level to 41.9%, while in fixed broadband it contracted by over a percentage point to 32.3%.

The majority state-owned company also announced today it would propose dividends of EUR 4.50 gross per share at the 30 August annual general meeting, which would mean distributing around three-quarters of the EUR 39 million in accumulated profit among shareholders.

The proposal is significantly below last year's dividend payout, but it is by no means certain to be endorsed: last year the management proposed a payout of EUR 6.30 gross per share, but Slovenian Sovereign Holding (SSH) succeeded with a counter-proposal for dividends of EUR 14.30.

STA, 23 July 2019 - The Constitutional Court has ordered an injunction against a legislative provision that allows law enforcement authorities to use IMSI catchers, devices that mimic mobile phone towers to intercept mobile traffic.

The court suspended the provision, passed in the amendments to the criminal procedure act in March, pending its final decision on a petition brought by the opposition Democratic Party (SDS) and the Left.

The parties are challenging several contentious provisions on the grounds of invasion of privacy, including Article 150.a of the criminal procedure act, which creates the legal basis for IMSI catchers.

The parties did not propose staying this particular provision, but the court did impose an injunction, arguing that its enforcement could cause damaging consequences that would be hard to repair.

The court holds that the use of IMSI catchers may provide the basis for further invasive encroachment on human rights by the state; among other things, it allows covert investigative measures.

"The measure allows distinctly targeted gathering and processing of many sets of personal data of a broad group of individuals," the court said.

The court is treating the case as an absolute priority. Other provisions challenged by the two parties have not been stayed.

The injunction was welcomed by both parties, while the Interior Ministry regretted it, saying that the use of IMSI catchers would make police work more effective and successful.

The ministry underscored that "IMSI catchers are being used successfully and effectively in several EU countries, helping them in the combat against the worst forms organised and other crime".

The Left's MP Matej T. Vatovec described the injunction as "the first good signal ... that the government's aspiration to establish a police state is excessive".

Digital technology makes it possible to invade privacy as never before, and the contentious amendments create more scope for unconstitutional spying on people, SDS MP Dejan Kaloh commented.

The SDS had expected the court to stay several other contentious provisions, but the court said this could create hard to reverse consequences if the provisions turned out not to be unconstitutional.

"This obviously does not mean that the Constitutional Court's final ruling will be in the government's favour", Kaloh said in a press release.

The two parties are challenging a number of new provisions which deal with covert investigative measures and data collection and surveillance in traffic, arguing grave and disproportional invasion of privacy.

The challenged articles include one that makes it possible to conduct a house search without the person being investigated being present.

The petitioners argue that the possibility of invasion of privacy should be limited to most urgent cases and that proper safeguards should be put in place to prevent abuse.

However, the Justice Ministry repeated in its response today that it did follow the principle of proportionality in drawing up the solutions.

The ministry also welcomed the court's decision to treat the matter as an absolute priority.

The Constitutional Court has recently also annulled a provision in the police powers act that sanctions the use systems for automatic licence plate recognition.

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A schedule of all the main events involving Slovenia this week can be found here

Visiting Ljubljana? Check out what's on this week, while all our stories on Slovenia, from newest to oldest, are here

This summary is provided by the STA:

Russian Chapel ceremony to focus on post-WWI time

LJUBLJANA - This year, the memorial ceremony at the Russian Chapel under the Vršič Pass, which honours Russian POWs killed during First World War, will focus on the post-war period. Several thousand people are expected to turn out for the event on Saturday, including senior officials of the Russian government and Orthodox Church. The ceremony will be addressed by parliamentary Speaker Dejan Židan and Ljubljana University Chancellor Igor Papič. It was Russian immigrants who helped establish the university 100 years ago.

Top court issues injunction against IMSI catchers

LJUBLJANA - The Constitutional Court ordered an injunction against a legislative provision that allows police to use IMSI catchers, devices that mimic mobile phone towers to intercept mobile traffic. The provision will be stayed until the court has deliberated on a petition in which the opposition Democratic Party (SDS) and Left challenge several contentious provisions in the amendments to the criminal procedure act passed in March on the grounds of invasion of privacy.

Two more ambassadors appointed

LJUBLJANA - President Borut Pahor formally appointed two more new ambassadors last Friday. Lea Stančič will take over as ambassador to Romania and Peter Japelj as ambassador to Albania. Stančič has so far served as ambassador to Albania. Japelj currently heads the department in charge of Slovenia's policy on issues pertaining to the work of EU institutions and bodies.

Židan and Burgenland governor stress importance of cohesion policy

LJUBLJANA - Parliamentary Speaker Dejan Židan received the governor of the Austrian state of Burgenland Hans Peter Doskozil in Ljubljana. Doskozil, who also met President Borut Pahor, and Židan discussed developments in the Slovenian parliament, social policy and in particular European cohesion policy, which they said is key for reducing development gaps between different regions and securing general prosperity. Doskozil, who started a two-day visit, is also scheduled to meet Development and European Cohesion Policy Minister Iztok Purič and Justice Minister Andreja Katič.

Work on Koper pier extension to start soon

KOPER - Work on the extension of Pier 1 at Koper, Slovenia's only seaport, will start on Thursday, with the EU-co-funded project slated completion in 2021. Port operator Luka Koper said the EUR 235 million investment would secure further development and increase the port's international competitiveness. Pier 1, which supports container terminals, will be extended by 98.5 metres in length and 34.4 metres in width, extending the southern side of the pier to 695 metres.

Consumer confidence deteriorates again

LJUBLJANA - After rising in the previous month following a negative streak, the consumer confidence index was down again in July, dropping by one percentage point on the month before and standing three points below the value in July 2018. However, the value was still 14 percentage points above the long-term average, the Statistics Office reported. The monthly decline was due to the more pessimistic expectations about savings and the households' finances.

SKB assembly fills management board

LJUBLJANA - The assembly of Societe Generale-owned SKB Banka, which is in the process of being sold to the Hungarian OTP Bank Group, filled vacancies on the nine-member management board by appointing two new members. The assembly appointed Milan Žiaran the SKB's new CEO and Manica Novak a board member to have In line with a counter proposal, tabled today by Societe Generale, the management board will change after the bank's sale - the board members will be Zsolt Barna, Imre Bertalan, Anna Florova Mitkova, Branko Miksa, Draga Cukjati and Anita Stojčevska, with Ravbar, Žiaran and Novak keeping their seats.

Okarina festival gets under way in Bled

LJUBLJANA - Great names of jazz and world music will perform admission-free concerts against what is arguably the most picturesque backdrop in Slovenia at he annual Okarina festival in Bled. Held for 29th year running, the festival got under way at Bled Castle with a concert by Vigüela, the Spanish ensemble performing authentic rural music from the Castilla-La Mancha province. After the first two concerts, the festival will move to the promenade by the lake until 3 August. See the schedule and videos of performers here

Živadinov set to complete 50-year "postgravity art" project

LJUBLJANA - Plans by Slovenian "postgravitational artist" Dragan Živadinov and his team to conclude an ongoing 50-year performance by replacing its deceased actors with artistic satellites are entering the test stage. Živadinov told the press that the first umbot satellite would be set into the orbit by 2021 at the latest. Drawing on high-tech, Suprematism and Constructivism, the evolving performance Noordung 1995-2045, is named after Slovenian space science pioneer Herman Potočnik Noordung (1892-1929).

If you're learning Slovenian then you can find all our dual texts here

July 23, 2019

In 1919 Regent Aleksander Karađorđević signed the University in Ljubljana of the Kingdom of Serbs, Croats and Slovenes Act. The University’s founding members were the Faculties of Arts, Medicine, Law, Technical and Theology.

In the first study year of 1919/20, 942 students were enrolled at the University of Ljubljana, 914 men and 28 women. Although men dominated in numbers, the first doctoral degree was, however, awarded to a woman, which was quite unusual in Europe at the time. The first University of Ljubljana PhD was earned by Ana Mayer on July 15 for her successful defence of a doctoral thesis titled “On Formalin's Effects on Starch”. However, between the wars the University remained very conservative with regard to the acceptance of women, who nevertheless never gave up trying to gain admission.

Women make up more than half of the 37,800 students enrolled at the University of Ljubljana today. With 23 faculties and three art academies all areas of study are covered, from the sciences, social sciences and humanities to the arts, technology and medical science. Various ranking lists place the University of Ljubljana among the top 3% of the best universities in the world.

STA, 22 July 2019 - Slovenia boasts thirteen native breeds of domestic animals, with most of them considered endangered or vulnerable, so their preservation is of national importance. A network to support breeders, set up in 2016, features a dozen farms and seven agricultural centres.

There are four native breeds of sheep in Slovenia, with the Jezersko-Solčava coming from northern Slovenia, Belokranjska Pramenka from the south-eastern region of Bela Krajina, the Bovec from the upper valley of the Soča river, and Istrska Pramenka from Kras and Istria.

Other native breeds include the Drežnica goat, the Krško Polje pig, Carniolan honeybee, the Štajerska chicken and the Cika cow.

The three native Slovenian breeds of horses are the Posavje, the Lipica and the Slovenian cold-blooded horse.

Preserving these breeds in their own local environment is in line with the Convention on Biological Diversity, the programme for development of Slovenian agriculture and rural areas, and the long-term programme of protecting biological diversity in Slovenian animal husbandry.

In 2016, the Public Service of Animal Husbandry Gene Bank, which covers the field on the national level, set up the Slovenian network of breeders of endangered native breeds. The same year, the first farms received certificates for breeding endangered native animals.

Currently, 12 farms and seven agricultural centres have the certificates.

"The number of such farms has been increasing very slowly, but our goal is not so much to have more of such farms but to improve the quality of promotion and preservation (of the animals), which is the basic mission of these farms," Danijela Bojkovski and Metka Žan of the Public Service of Animal Husbandry Gene Bank told the STA.

"We would primarily like the wider public to understand how important it is to preserve native breeds and use their products," the pair said.

To get the certificate, a farm must breed at least three native breeds of domestic animals. It can also breed other domestic animals, but at least half of the animals have to be of native breeds.

The agricultural centres breed native domestic animals mainly for educational and tourist purposes.

Both types of farms are encouraged to market the products of the native breeds, follow the guidelines of organic farming and also preserve native plants.

The farms can receive state subsidies for breeding endangered native breeds as part of the programme for development of Slovenian rural areas.

The Karst Shepherd, a breed of dog of the livestock guardian type, is also a native breed whose conservation status is critical.

A breeding program was accepted in 2009 to boost the number of dogs, improve their characteristics and preserve their genetic diversity.

STA, 23 July 2019 - Great names of jazz and world music will perform admission-free concerts against what is arguably the most picturesque backdrop in Slovenia as the annual Okarina festival kicks off in Bled tonight.

Held for 29th year running, the festival will get under way at Bled Castle with a concert by Vigüela, the Spanish ensemble performing authentic rural music from the Castilla-La Mancha province.

After a concert by the Serbian folk band Legende at the castle the next day, the festival will move to the promenade by the lake where another ten gigs will follow daily until 3 August.

The Brooklyn-based afrobeat band Antibalas will perform there on Thursday, followed by a fusion French breakbeat and traditional Qawwali music from Pakistan, to be performed by Markus & Shahzad Santoo Khan.

One of the musical treats for the weekend will be Ravid Kahalani and the Yemen Blues ensemble, who combine traditional Yemenite melodies with funk, blues, and jazz rhythms.

Another will be the Belgium-based band, Panta Rhei, who have given the traditional music of Eastern Europe a new twist with tunes from England and Swedish melancholia.

The second festival week will see the greats such as Jamaican jazz pianist Monty Alexander, the Lovell sisters aka Larkin Poe, known for heavy electric guitar riffs and slide guitar, and Tunisian oud master Dhafer Youssef.

The official website, in English, can be found here

STA, 22 July 2019 - The Chinese owners of airport operator Aerodrom Maribor have put up signs to limit access to Maribor airport, which is currently managed by DRI, a state-owned company, media reported on Monday.

This is the latest twist in the story of Maribor Airport, whose management was handed over to DRI, the state-owned consulting and engineering company specialised in infrastructure projects, in early June.

The government decided for the move after the Chinese-backed Aerodrom Maribor announced in January it was invoking a six-month notice and terminating the 15-year lease agreement it signed in 2017 due to delays in a planned expansion of the airport's runway.

DRI got the operating licence last week, so the airport reopened last Friday after being closed for a day.

But today, signs saying Private Property, No Trespassing, No Parking appeared at the entrance to the parking area.

The Infrastructure Ministry told the STA that the easement in the area of Maribor airport, owned by Aerodrom Maribor, was settled in the land register and that any disputes over the matter would be settled in court.

The ministry assessed that "the Chinese owners who unilaterally pulled out of the lease agreement for no apparent reason are doing this to hinder the operations of Maribor airport and are implementing their interests at Slovenia's expense".

DRI meanwhile told the STA today the signs did not disrupt the airport's operations.

DRI is to manage the airport until the end of 2020 or until the Infrastructure Ministry finds a long-term solution.

The ministry denied in a press release last week claims that Aerodrom Maribor terminated the lease agreement due to delays in the planned expansion of the airport's runway.

It added no deadlines or any other conditions for the state had been set in the 2017 agreement.

The project entails changes to the spatial plan for the area, which is a lengthy procedure and can take several years, it noted.

The Chinese-backed firm SHS Aviation bought Aerodrom Maribor at the beginning of 2017 from Delavska Hranilnica savings bank, signing a 15-year lease agreement with the state.

It made huge announcements when it took over, but few of its plans came to fruition and the airport has been languishing, serving only a handful of charter flights and subsisting mostly on revenue from pilot training.

STA, 22 July 2019 - The first of four run-down hotels in the Alpine valley of Bohinj bought in March by Slovenian crypto millionaire Damian Merlak opened its doors after major renovation on Monday.

Aparthotel Triglav, located in Stara Fužina on the eastern side of lake Bohinj and featuring 27 self-catering units, has a new roof, facade, floors, new kitchens, bathrooms as well as equipment. A three- to four-star hotel, it will be slightly more expensive than in the past.

Talks are meanwhile under way for the renovation of Hotel Zlatorog, a 43-room hotel located on the western side, adjacent to the lake's campsite. While the hotel has been closed since 2011 and needs the most work, Merlak's team hopes it will open again in three years.

Also slated for renovation are Hotel Bohinj, which is located east of the lake and is being leased until November, and Ski Hotel Vogel, located some 50 metres away from the ski slopes on Mount Vogel above the lake.

Meanwhile, another dilapidating closed hotel in the Bohinj area, which lies further west of the much more touristic Bled lake, is Hotel Bellevue. Also located at the eastern entry point to the lake, it has been owned since 2017 by Podjetje Pokljuka, which is connected to forestry company Gozdno Gospodarstvo Bled and the Ljubljana Archdiocese.

Aleš Kadunc of Gozdno Gospodarstvo Bled has told the STA that part of the hotel will be torn down, part of it reconstructed, while one segment is under heritage protection. Permits are being applied for and it is not yet clear if construction work can begin next year.

STA, 21 July 2019 - Six years after it was launched as one of the first craft breweries in Slovenia, Pivovarna Pelicon has grown into a fully-fledged company with six employees that is looking to crack the million euro revenue mark.

Posting net sales of EUR 584,000 for 2018, up over a quarter on the year before, the company expects annual revenue to rise by about 30% to roughly EUR 900,000 this year, co-founder Anita Lozar told the STA. Virtually the entire profit is reinvested.

The company sells its range of craft beers in Slovenia and Italy. This summer it has decided to enter the Croatian and Danish markets.

Starting off with a single product, a pale ale, Pelicon currently offers nine types of beer and has the capacity to produce up to 250,000 litres of the hoppy beverage a year. It has also branched out from beer to produce a craft gin and a "hoppy tonic" with real quinine.

"Over these six years we've grown, seen where our shortcomings are and slowly started to tackle them. We've slowly improved our product portfolio and started bottling beer. We currently sell half the beer bottled and half on tap in pubs, which we had not been doing before," Lozar said,

About a year ago the brewery also started to work with retailers. According to Lozar, this means having to increase output, which again required production adjustments. "But these are sweet problems," she said.