Slovakia: Situation of the Roma

A 14 may 1998 article from Sme, a Bratislava newspaper, states that the Romany Intelligentsia for Coexistence (RIS) has accused the Slovak authorities of "deliberately depriving the Romanies throughout Slovakia of their civil and human rights." Tibor Loran, the chairman of this organization, explained that Romanies were forcibly removed from their communities to be resettled in "outlying areas". In loosing their permanent residence, Romanies are deprived of employment, of access to social security and health care as well as their right to vote or to be elected.

An 11 April 1998 article published in The Economist states that the coalition government in Slovakia includes the Slovak National Party, "an avowed chauvinist group whose leader, Jan Slota, says the best way to deal with gypsies is with 'a big whip and a small yard'; his party is in charge of the education ministry."

A 25 March 1998 CTK newswire report states that the Major of Jelsava complained to the Slovak Parliament chairman that his town of 3,135 inhabitants was attracting many Romanies from Kosice in quest for better housing. Alleged attacks of soldiers stationed in Jelsava by Kosice Romanies appears to be the source of the problem.

On 12 August 1997, two skinheads armed with baseball bats and tear gas reportedly attacked a family of five Roma in their apartment in Banska Bystrica, central Slovakia  (Roma Rights Fall 1997, 16). The head of the family was severely beaten and died of his wounds in early September 1997. The neighbour families did not provide any assistance to the family during the attack and local police allegedly "mocked" the family.

Five members of the Skinhead movement were found guilty in July 1997 by the district court of Prievidza for their support to a movement aiming at "suppressing citizens' rights and freedoms by assisting in committing a criminal offence" in the wake of tensions between the Skinhead movement and the Roma community that left two people dead and one seriously injured (Slovakia 1 Radio 23 Jul. 1997). One was sentenced to 6 months in prison while the four others were given suspended 4 to 12 months prison sentences to be served after an 18 to 24 months probationary period. It was the first hearing called against members of the Skinhead movement in the Upper Nitra region (central Slovakia).

On May 1997, some 30 skinheads allegedly attacked a group of seven Roma in Kosice, in eastern Slovakia. Two of the Roma victims were treated for minor injuries. The police stated it had launched an investigation (Roma Rights Summer 1997, 12).

On March 1997 a family of four Romani men and one Romani woman were reportedly attacked by a group of skinheads and their sympathisers in Prievidza, in western Slovakia. One of the family members suffered a fractured skull and internal bleeding after being struck by a metal bar. The family was among the few Roma families living in the non-Roma district of Priedvidza (Roma Rights Fall 1997, 16).

In December 1996, a young unemployed skinhead stabbed a 43 year-old Romani to death and severely injured his son.  The incident led local Romanies to form their own defense squads and to accuse Slovak Premier Vladimir Meciar  and parliament chairman Ivan Gasparovic of doing nothing to prevent the spread of racial violence in Slovakia (CTK 19 Nov. 1997).

For information on the situation on the Roma in the Slovak Republic up to January 1997, please refer to the European Roma Rights Center (ERRC) January 1997 comprehensive report entitled Time of the Skinheads: Denial and Exclusion of Roma in Slovakia, which is available at Regional Documentation Centres. This report provides detailed information on racially-motivated attacks against Roma, the denial of Roma rights in Slovakia and linguistic and geographic exclusion of Romas in Slovakia. For a summary of this report, please consult the attached 8 December 1997 CTK report entitled "ERRC Report Details Pogroms Against Romany Community in Slovakia". The ERRC is  "an international initiative for monitoring the human rights situation of Roma and providing legal defence in cases of human rights abuse." (ERRC January 1997 Time of the Skinheads: Denial and Exclusion of Roma in Slovakia, 1). The ERRC is also publishes the quarterly newsletter Roma Rights.

For information on the situation of women in Slovakia, please refer to the attached M2 Presswire report entitled "UN Women's anti-discrimination Committee Hears Queries on Situation of Romany Women in Slovakia."

This Response was prepared after researching publicly accessible information currently available to the Research Directorate within time constraints. This Response is not, and does not purport to be, conclusive as to the merit of any particular claim to refugee status or asylum.

References

CTK. 25 March 1998. « Small Slovak Town Unhappy with Influx of Kosice." (NEXIS)

_____. 19 November 1997. « Romanies Say Skinhead Attacks Are Now Part of Everyday Life." (NEXIS)

The Economist [London]. 11 April 1998. "Czeck Republic. Sad Gypsies."

Roma Rights: Newsletter of the European Roma Rights Center [Budapest]. Autumn 1997. "Skinhead Attacks and Murder in Slovakia."

_____. Summer 1997.  "Another Skinhead Attack in Eastern Slovakia."

Slovakia 1 Radio [Bratislava, in Slovak]. 23 July 1997. «Skinhead Movement Members sentenced in Central Slovakia." (BBC Summary 25 Jul. 1997/NEXIS).

Sme [Bratislava, in Slovak]. 12 May 1998. "Romany Leader Accuses Authorities of Human Rights' Breach." (BBC Summary 14 May 1998/NEXIS).

Attachments

CTK. 8 December 1998. "ERRC Report Details Pogroms Against Romany Community in Slovakia." (NEXIS)

M2 Presswire. 24 June 1998. "UN Women's Anti-discrimination Committee Hears Queries on Situation of Romany Women in Slovakia."