Slovakia: Human Rights Commissioner calls for action to combat segregation, health inequities and police brutality
27 February 2025
On his visit to Slovakia, Commissioner for Human Rights Michael O’Flaherty said that “some marginalised Roma communities live in a perpetual struggle for survival”, and that their dire living conditions increase their isolation and stigmatisation and directly affect their human rights.
In a memorandum just published, the Commissioner stressed the crucial role of civil society and stated that Slovak authorities need to take action to combat mistreatment of Roma by law enforcement; guarantee access to inclusive and quality education for Romani children; and urgently address persistent reports of abuse and discrimination against Romani women in health services. Commissioner O’Flaherty also recommended that the Slovak authorities establish, without further delay, “a compensation mechanism for victims of forced sterilisation that is accessible, transparent and provides adequate compensation.”
Dire living conditions
The memorandum was one of three published yesterday containing country-specific findings and recommendations based on the Commissioner’s visits to Finland, Ireland and Slovakia. On his visit to Slovakia, the Commissioner observed that some Roma dwellings in the settlement of Jarovnice and in the Luník IX neighbourhood are “unfit for human habitation, with no or very limited access to water and electricity.”
He was also informed that fires are common in such areas, as many families use solid fuel to keep warm, cook and generate light. In this connection, it was reported that Roma living in such conditions represent the majority of patients requiring specialised medical care for burn injuries in certain localities. Some of these locations are in hazardous areas, at risk of flooding or near waste dumps, posing serious risks to the health and lives of their inhabitants. These risks are exacerbated by extreme overcrowding, inadequate sanitation, lack of waste disposal, and rodent infestations.
The Commissioner observed regional and municipal disparities in the living conditions of the communities and was also informed of situations where local authorities are unwilling to cooperate or engage in initiatives aimed at improving the situation of marginalised Roma communities.
Police brutality
The Commissioner mentioned that ECtHR judgments against Slovakia pending for execution before the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe. These concern various violations including excessive use of force by the police, inhuman and degrading treatment at the hands of the police, failure to protect the physical well-being of persons in police custody, and the ineffective investigations and failure to investigate possible racist motives. In light of the failures in investigations of ill-treatment of Roma by police, various interlocutors reiterated the need for independent scrutiny.
Concerns about discriminatory treatment also included reported instances of inaction when Roma communities requested assistance from the police. Interlocutors stressed the need for more and better efforts to develop trust between the Roma communities and law enforcement authorities; and improved communication to tackle underreporting by Roma of violations of their rights.
The Commissioner recommended that authorities address these persistent concerns about systemic flaws in combating police ill-treatment of Roma and prioritise action to combat antigypsyism “and bridge issues of trust between Roma and law-enforcement.”
Health inequalities, segregation and abuse in labour wards
The Commissioner noted that the persistence of inequalities in health status and access to health services for Roma communities is symptomatic of embedded societal patterns of discrimination, exclusion and segregation, factors which also affect access to emergency healthcare. During his visit, the Commissioner met with several Roma women who expressed concerns about the practice of placing Roma women and children in segregated areas in some hospitals.
He was informed that no tangible progress could be noted in dismantling such practices, and interlocutors also reported instances of discriminatory standards of care, physical and verbal abuse, neglect and harassment of Roma women, as well as failure to obtain informed consent by health personnel in maternal health care services, including in relation to childbirth. The Commissioner stressed that, while the presence of Roma Health Mediators has been crucial in preventing such abuses, “the duty to prevent and combat discrimination in public and private healthcare facilities is incumbent on the state, which must assume full responsibility for it.”
Civil Society ‘crucial’
The Commissioner stressed the crucial importance of civil society organisations in assisting and improving the human rights situation of Roma communities. He noted the potential of civil society-led initiatives to break the cycle of marginalisation and exclusion of Roma: “They also demonstrate that, through willingness, effective cooperation and coordination among all actors, including local authorities, crucial support can be provided to change the lives of Roma communities.”
However, it is apparent to all that this government takes a diametrically opposite stance, having tried but failed to introduce a Putin-style foreign agent law. NGOs are constantly referred to as ‘whining’ leeches freeloading off the state, and the language used by politicians has fostered “a culture of hostility and hatred.” In the months that followed the failed assassination attempt on Fico, he referred to the media as "bloodthirsty bastards", NGOs and the opposition as "political pigs". In a recent mass letter of protest from hundreds of NGOs, the signatories argued that NGOs are currently “replacing the dysfunctional state in many areas” and that by attacking them, reducing their funding or space for participation, the government is "deepening existing social tensions, frustration and polarisation in society.”
The recommendations and full text of the memoranda for Slovakia, Ireland and Finland can be accessed here.
