U.S. Ambassador to Slovakia Theodore Sedgwick presented Slovak Ombudswoman Jana Dubovcova with the Human Rights Defender Award on Wednesday in recognition of her efforts.
Despite evident resistance on the part of the authorities, she’s worked hard to show the whole of Slovakia, including Parliament and the Government, that human rights are still being violated throughout the country, is the reasoning of the US embassy. “I view this as great encouragement not only for me, but for the entire Ombudsman's Office,” said Dubovcova, who recently pointed to alleged shortcomings in the conduct of police officers on a police operation at a Roma settlement in Eastern Slovakia. Her criticism led to a conflict with the Cabinet of Prime Minister Robert Fico. Olga Pietruchova, the head of the gender equality department at the Ministry of Social Affairs was another awardee of the US Embassy given the Woman of Courage Award. She received it for her effort to preserve and promotion of rights of all people regardless of their gender or sexual orientation, reads the Embassy’s statement.
