Slovak Interior Ministry being sued over discrimination against Roma

The European Roma Rights Centre (ERRC) has sued the Slovak Interior Ministry due to planned discriminatory practices of the Slovak police, TASR learnt on Wednesday. The ERRC doesn't like the planned measures aimed at tackling crime in Roma settlements. "The planned legislation could easily be misused to persecute the already marginalised communities," said Michal Zálešák of the ERRC. According to the centre, the new legislative proposal is based on "anti-Roma stereotypes and inaccurate conclusions based on data gathered by the ministry last year". "There can surely be found traces of prejudice in certain activities of the Slovak police aimed against Roma. Linking the crime rate with ethnicity is absurd," stated ERRC President Ðorđe Jovanović. Last week Interior Minister Robert Kaliňák (Smer-SD) and Police Corps President Tibor Gašpar presented measures that the ministry wants to adopt in order to deal with crime in Roma settlements. Government Proxy for Roma Communities Ábel Ravasz (Most-Hid), his predecessor in the post Peter Pollák as well as Justice Minister Lucia Žitňanská (Most-Híd) have objected to the planned measures.