Slovakia will have to explain the incident in eastern Slovak town Moldava nad Bodvou that occurred in mid-June to international institutions. The Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) has asked the responsible authorities in Slovakia for a thorough investigation of the event. Slovakia should submit a report conducted by police officers on July 10, the Sme daily reported.
The Director of the Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights of the OSCE, Janez Lenarčič, requested the report, and sent a letter on July 2 in which he “asked for information about measures the Interior Ministry passed with the aim of securing the independent, thorough and effective investigation of the police action”, Ivan Netík from the ministry told Sme.
Lenarčič also pointed to the OSCE 2003 action plan in which the organisation called for improving relations between police and Roma. The document proposes that governments create a code of ethics for police officers, as well as specific methods for dealing with Roma, Sme wrote.
The police raid took place on June 19, involving 63 police officers who rode into the Budulovská Roma settlement in Moldava nad Bodvou and proceeded to raid the dwellings of the local inhabitants. The ETP Slovensko civic association brought the raid to the media’s attention, suggesting that the police action was unjustified and inappropriate. The police detained 15 people and about 30 others were reported to have been injured by the police during the raid.
Yet, the Slovak police dismissed the claims, with Police President Tibor Gašpar telling the parliamentary committee for human rights on July 3 that information circulating about the police raid has been misleading and untrue, the SITA newswire reported.
Source: Sme, SITA
For more information about this story please see: Police deny claims of inappropriate police action at Roma settlement
30 people injured in police raid
Compiled by Radka Minarechová from press reports
The Slovak Spectator cannot vouch for the accuracy of the information presented in its Flash News postings.
