The European Roma Rights Centre (ERRC) and Amnesty International Slovakia are calling for an independent investigation into reports of alleged police violence against members of the Roma community in the village of Veľká Ida.
According to a joint statement by the organizations, investigations into police violence against Roma in Slovakia have been ineffective in the past and have repeatedly failed to deliver justice.
In this context, the international organizations remind the Slovak government of its legal obligations under international and European human rights law. They emphasize that the use of force by security forces must always be lawful, proportionate, and applied only when necessary.
On Monday, June 30, the Police Force (PZ) reported that, in connection with the police intervention in the village of Veľká Ida (Košice-okolie district) on Saturday, June 28, there have been doubts and questions raised on social media regarding the officers' conduct.
Andrea Dobiášová, spokesperson for the Inspection Service Office, stated that since Saturday, they have been investigating allegations of abuse of authority by public officials. She added that over the weekend, officers from the ÚIS secured necessary evidence, reviewed video footage from buildings in the village, and are currently analysing recordings from the body cameras of the officers involved.
Source: SITA
