THE LONDON-based Amnesty International, the European Roma Rights Centre in Budapest, and the Slovak Roma Rights Centre have filed a motion to the country’s Prosecutor General's Office against the Slovak police, the news wire SITA wrote.
The claimants argue that the police used inappropriate methods when coping with the Roma unrest of last week in the eastern Slovak towns of Trebišov and Èaklov, breaching not only European human rights conventions but also Slovak law.
According to claims of the local Roma, a video recording proves that policemen used inappropriate force against the protesters. They claim the police beat and used stun guns against them.
Several Roma groups have been protesting over the last two weeks in protest against reduced social benefit payments. Demonstrations got out of control after a group of 80 Roma looted a food store in the eastern town of Levoča on February 18.
The situation calmed down once the police strengthened their position in the area and some shop looters were arrested.
Compiled by Beata Balogová from press reports
The Slovak Spectator cannot vouch for the accuracy of the information presented in its Flash News postings.
