US CONGRESSMAN Christopher Smith on April 19 criticised last week's decision by a Slovak investigator to charge Roma journalist Denisa Havrľová with verbally attacking a public official.
The incident occurred in February, and involved a policeman from the east Slovak village of Jarovnice who refused to give his hand to Havrľová and reportedly asked her if she had a hygiene certificate.
The investigator charged Havrľová based on allegations by a witness that she had demanded to know if the policeman had refused to shake her hand because she was a Roma.
