Rok Snežič releases controversial posters targeting Luka Mesec

Controversial political posters featuring Luka Mesec, a candidate for Mayor of Ljubljana, have appeared in Ljubljana and Maribor. The billboards, commissioned by Rok Snežič, depict Mesec in Arabic clothing consuming cocaine and include the label ‘Ljubljana Pasha’.

Snežič stated the posters are a response to comments made by Mesec on a TV Slovenia program, where Mesec allegedly referred to Snežič as a criminal sent by the SDS party to destroy the Levica party. Snežič argued that under Article 158 of the Penal Code, returning an insult is not a punishable offense.

Mesec has dismissed the posters as unworthy of comment. The Advertising Board of Slovenia noted that the state lacks a general pre-screening filter for external political posters to prevent offensive content. Instead, mechanisms are largely reactive, depending on whether the content constitutes hate speech, racism, or specific violations of criminal law regarding the protection of honor and reputation.