Illustrative image. (source: AP/SITA)
On Wednesday, a Belgian court of inquiry stated that in regards to the death of Slovak national Jozef Chovanec, no one bears responsibility. This was confirmed by the Consul General of the Slovak Republic in Belgium, Andrej Michalec, reports TASR newswire.
The court was adjourned several times this year.
According to the court's verdict, a regrettable combination of tragic circumstances transpired. Lawyers of Chovanec's wife are now waiting for a written statement from the court. The Belga news agency stated that both Chovanec's wife and Slovakia have 15 days to appeal the verdict.
The Slovak national, who worked in Belgium as a construction worker, died in hospital on February 27, 2018, after being detained on a plane bound for Slovakia at Charleroi airport near Brussels. According to witnesses, he behaved aggressively towards the crew-he shoved a flight attendant because he could not sit on the seat he had chosen-as well as the policemen who were called.
In August 2020, several Belgian media outlets published video footage from prison cameras. It showed the man self-harming; he was banging his head against the cell door and bleeding. Subsequently, the policemen try to pacify him. The images also show one police officer giving a Nazi salute, while others were laughing at it. Moreover, another police officer was kneeling on the man's chest for about 16 minutes.
According to Belgian doctors, the cause of death was strong blows to the head, which caused brain edema. They also concluded that an injection from medical professionals who tried to calm him down caused his heart's activity to stop.
Slovakia will file a complaint
Foreign Minister Juraj Blanár said on Wednesday that Slovakia will file a complaint with the European Court of Human Rights in Strasbourg against the Belgian court's ruling.
"Yes, it was a tragic situation, as every death is tragic. Even more so when it happens under still unexplained circumstances, while in the custody of police officers who were meant to protect him," Blanár said, as quoted by the TASR news agency. He expressed his disagreement with the court's finding.
Blanár argued that there would have been a vastly different reaction from the media and the European Commission if such a case had occurred in Slovakia.
"The entire government would immediately be held accountable, and progressive media would rush to pass judgment. From the European Commission, we would instantly hear criticism of the rule of law," the minister asserted.
