THOUSANDS rallied in dozens of cities and towns across Slovakia on Wednesday to mark the sixth anniversary of the murders of an investigative journalist and his fiancee amid a wave of anti-government protests.

Jan Kuciak and Martina Kusnirova were shot dead at their home in the town of Velka Maca, east of Bratislava, on February 21 2018.

Three people received stiff prison terms for their roles in the killings, including former soldier Miroslav Marcek, who pleaded guilty to shooting them.