Slovenian influencer held in extortion probe amid political social media row

Slovenian police have detained controversial online influencer Aleksander Repić, known as “Nepridiprav” (“mischief-maker”), upon his arrival from Dubai at Ljubljana in an alleged extortion case. The arrest comes amid a political dispute over unusual activity targeting the social media accounts of Prime Minister Robert Golob and the ruling Freedom Movement.

Repić has more than 100,000 followers on Instagram in a country with 2.1 mln. people, where he built his profile through provocative recordings and viral videos targeting public figures, influencers and politicians.

Police confirmed that three individuals are suspected in connection with an attempted extortion scheme, while Repić has been deprived of liberty. Four house searches involving 14 criminal investigators are currently under way. Under Article 213 of Slovenia’s Criminal Code extortion carries a prison sentence of between one and eight years. Authorities stressed that the detention is unrelated to the recent spike in followers on the Instagram accounts of the ruling Freedom Movement (Gibanje Svoboda) and Prime Minister Robert Golob.

Social media mobilisation and political fallout

Repić had recently urged his followers to comment on posts published by the ruling Freedom Movement. Shortly afterwards, the Instagram profiles of both the party and Prime Minister Golob recorded a sharp increase in followers, many reportedly suspected to be fake foreign accounts. Golob stated that the incident had been reported to all competent institutions, as well as to Meta.

In his own posts, Repić claimed that developments surrounding the profiles were influenced by his public appeal to followers.

While the episode fuelled political debate in Slovenia about online mobilisation and potential manipulation, police have made clear that the influencer’s arrest is linked to a separate criminal investigation.

Alleged extortion case

According to investigators, Repić and two other individuals allegedly demanded unlawful financial gain from a victim, threatening to publish material that would harm the person and their family if payment was not made.

The case reportedly involves lawyer Sebastjan Kerčmar. Repić is said to have confronted him with allegations of sexual harassment of minors and recorded a conversation inside the law firm without his knowledge. In mid-January, recordings from the premises, together with statements from unidentified individuals and surveillance footage, were published on Repić’s social media channels.

Police confirmed that pre-trial proceedings began following a complaint filed by the injured party in the first half of January 2026.

A polarising digital figure

In recent years, Repić has emerged as a polarising presence in Slovenia’s digital landscape, frequently publishing allegations against well-known Slovenians and expressing strong criticism of politicians, media outlets, the police, prosecutors and the judiciary.

In an April 2025 podcast appearance, he stated that he earned income by working with women who publish content on the pornographic subscription platform OnlyFans.

He also has a criminal record. In 2008, Repić and several other minors set fire to a hut in Ljubljana’s Štepanjsko naselje district, where 56-year-old Sabahudin Toškić was sleeping and died in the blaze. Repić later pleaded guilty and in 2015 received a suspended prison sentence of 18 months with a four-year probation period for causing a general danger resulting in death — an offence punishable by up to eight years in prison.

In 2019, he was again sentenced to imprisonment at Dob Prison for multiple criminal offences, though media reports at the time did not clearly specify all charges.

The original article in Slovenian published by EUalive’s partner Siol.net can be found here.

Caption: Photo of Aleksander Repić posted on his Instagram profile [Siol.net]