people. Parliamentarians attempted to EXCESSIVE AND UNNECESSARY USE OF FORCE adopt amendments that would restrict In April, the European Court of Human Rights access to abortion. Slovakia had not yet ruled in M.B. and Others v. Slovakia that ratified the Istanbul Convention. Slovakia had failed to investigate allegations BACKGROUND that police officers ill-treated six Roma boys in a police car after arresting them in 2009 in In April, the Constitutional Court decided to the city of Košice. carry out an inquiry into the lawfulness of the In May and June, the District Court in restrictions of the right to liberty during the Košice terminated the criminal proceedings Covid-19 pandemic. against five out of six Roma who had lodged DISCRIMINATION complaints about ill-treatment during a police operation in Moldava nad Bodvou in 2013. The authorities subjected Roma to The police claimed that the men had falsely widespread discrimination. accused them of wrongdoing. In December, RIGHT TO HEALTH the District Court also terminated the The authorities continued to impose proceedings also against the sixth quarantines on Roma settlements, raising complainant. In June, the government concerns over proportionality and lack of apologized for the human rights violations adequate socio-economic support. Regional during the police action but provided no health authorities in several parts of Slovakia justice or reparations to the Roma victims. introduced mandatory quarantines in dozens RIGHT TO EDUCATION of Roma settlements after some of the In April, the NGO eduRoma published a residents tested positive. The quarantines report estimating that as many as 70% of were enforced by the police. On 23 February, Roma children in Slovakia did not participate the Government Plenipotentiary for Roma in remote online learning during the first Communities raised concerns over the wave of the Covid-19 pandemic in 2020. A widespread practice of mandatory lack of internet access was one of the key quarantines. The authorities failed to carry factors that hindered home schooling. out an adequate assessment whether these Slovakia continued to face infringement were proportionate or necessary. In proceedings initiated by the European December, the Constitutional Court declared Commission for systematically discriminating the law providing for mandatory quarantines against and segregating Roma children in unconstitutional, due to the lack of limits to education, breaching the EU’s equality restrictions on human rights. legislation. Throughout the year, there were concerns FORCED STERILIZATIONS over unequal access of Roma to Covid-19 In June, Roma women who had been victims vaccines, resulting in low vaccination rates in of unlawful sterilizations met parliamentarians Roma settlements. By the end of August, to urge the state to ensure justice and only 7% of residents of Roma settlements remedy for the harm they had suffered. The had been vaccinated against Covid-19, Public Defender of Human Rights and the compared to 43% of general population. Centre for Civil and Human Rights NGO Before April, when an amendment to the law reiterated the call for adequate entered into force, foreigners and people with compensation. In November, the government arrears on health insurance had not been officially apologized for the unlawful eligible for Covid-19 vaccines. This sterilization of thousands of Roma women. disproportionately affected people from However, it had yet to put in place an disadvantaged socio-economic backgrounds, effective compensation mechanism. including Roma. Amnesty International Report 2021/22 327