Support for Environmental Advocate Andreja Slameršek
June 2025
Nomination of Andreja Slameršek for the Rado Smerdu National Award for Nature Conservation
Together with Lutra, Institute for Nature Conservation, and numerous environmental organisations and civil initiatives dedicated to river protection, we nominated Andreja Slameršek for Slovenia’s highest national recognition in the field of nature conservation – the Rado Smerduj Award.
Through this nomination, we wanted to honour her exceptional and long-standing contribution to the protection of Slovenian rivers.
Andreja was the driving force behind the Save the Mura! campaign, which played an important role in preserving one of Slovenia’s last major free-flowing rivers. For many years, she has also been persistently and professionally advocating for the protection of the lower Sava River and challenging plans for the construction of the Mokrice hydropower plant at the confluence of the Sava and Krka rivers through legal proceedings.
We were therefore especially delighted when Andreja received the award at the official ceremony held at Brdo pri Kranju. The recognition was thoroughly deserved – not only for her achievements to date, but also for her perseverance, courage, and dedication in defending Slovenian rivers and the public interest for decades.
March 2026
Press Conference in Support of Andreja Slameršek and the Slovenian Freshwater Fish Research Society following Lawsuits Filed by State Energy Companies
Only a few months after receiving the national award, Andreja Slameršek and the Slovenian Freshwater Fish Research Society (DPRS) were served with two lawsuits filed by state-owned energy companies HSE Invest and HESS.
These lawsuits represent so-called SLAPP cases (Strategic Lawsuits Against Public Participation), whose purpose extends beyond a legal dispute. They can also serve as a means of intimidation, financial pressure, and silencing individuals and organisations acting in the public interest.
The lawsuits are connected to Slameršek’s long-standing efforts to prevent the construction of the Mokrice hydropower plant on the Lower Sava River.
Together with environmental, legal, and civil society organisations, Guardians of the Rivers therefore organised a press conference in front of the Ministry of the Environment. Nearly one hundred people gathered in support of Andreja, including representatives of the professional community, non-governmental organisations, and civil society from across Slovenia.
At the press conference, we publicly called on the responsible representatives of HSE Invest and HESS to explain the reasons and background behind the lawsuits filed against a recipient of the national nature conservation award, and to withdraw the lawsuits immediately.
The event concluded with a collective reading of the statements for which Andreja Slameršek was sued. In doing so, we wanted to show that her words are not only her own, but represent the views of many people who advocate for nature protection and respect for the public interest.
The event received significant media attention – see Media Campaign
