Open letter to the Olympic Committee of Slovenia
Federico Pignatelli della Leonessa, New York
New York, May 2026
To: Olympic Committee of Slovenia, Association of Sports Federations, Ameriška ulica 2, 1000 Ljubljana
Dear leadership of the Olympic Committee of Slovenia,
I followed with great concern the news that you awarded attorney Tjaša Andree Prosenc the title of the first honorary member of the Olympic Committee of Slovenia.
This recognition is supposed to symbolise integrity, honour, honesty and a lifelong contribution to society. You broke that symbolism and that trust, and that is precisely why I believe the Slovenian public has the right to know the other side of the story of the person you honoured with your highest symbolic recognition.
For many years, Tjaša Andree Prosenc acted as my legal representative and the attorney of my family in matters concerning the property at Wolfova 1 in Ljubljana and all the other family property that was returned to us after lengthy denationalisation proceedings related to the post-war criminal injustices committed against the Mayer family. Those injustices led to my grandfather's arrest, his torture in prison and finally his murder, together with the confiscation of all his property.
Instead of protecting the interests of her client, there was an abuse of trust, the falsification of documents and illegal changes in the court register of the company Eurocapital, the owner of the building. In different ways, but always with the same final objective: to steal property.
A crucial part of this story was my mother, Doris Mayer, an elderly lady who, after decades of living abroad, no longer understood the Slovenian language or its legal procedures. It was precisely through her that Tjaša Andree Prosenc carried out illegal manoeuvres that deprived her and me of our property and secured enough time for the key deadlines for our effective legal protection to expire. In Slovenia, criminal charges can no longer be brought against the perpetrator after three years from the commission of the crime, regardless of whether you even knew about it. Such legislation protects criminals from being held accountable for their actions and encourages theft, fraud and corruption.
In fact, when I became aware of Prosenc's criminal actions, I was barred from initiating criminal proceedings against her because of the statute of limitations. This is complete nonsense, since a person cannot act against a deed they do not even know has taken place.
In my family's building, Tjaša Andree Prosenc today owns a stolen apartment, while her son owns valuable stolen commercial premises in which he conducts his business.
Even more disturbing than the story itself is the fact that, throughout all these years, Slovenian institutions have failed to provide a clear and effective legal resolution of my civil proceedings. Among them is the Bar Association of Slovenia, which completely failed to take appropriate measures against Prosenc, which is why I have been suing the Bar Association for years now.
When Slovenia chose democracy and joining the European Community, I believed in the Slovenian rule of law. I never imagined that it would be possible to leave a person for so many years without effective legal protection, while someone with strong connections in political and judicial circles continues to enjoy prestige and public honours.
The public is well aware of the long-standing connections between Tjaša Andree Prosenc and the influential networks of the former communist elite led by Milan Kučan, under whose protection she has been and remains to this day, as the two are said to have been lovers for many years. This is precisely why many people today rightly ask whether the same rules truly apply to everyone in Slovenia.
This letter is not an attack on sport. It is a call for the accountability of your institution.
When an institution such as the Olympic Committee of Slovenia grants someone the title of honorary member, it does not recognise sporting functions alone. It also confers moral legitimacy.
That is precisely why I believe that, before making such a decision, you should also consider the wider picture and the history of the person to whom you grant your valuable recognition.
Today, this is no longer just my personal question.
The question is: what values are we, as a society, rewarding? And whether integrity in Slovenia still means anything at all.
Federico Pignatelli della Leonessa