Romani Community Relocated Following Death Threats in Slovenia
18 May 2007
On 29 October, police evacuated a group of around thirty Roma from Decja vas, near the village of Ambrus, municipality Ivancna Gorica, including a number of children, to the Postojna refugee centre, a former military barrack, in order to protect them from local non- Roma. This action was undertaken as a result of a conflict arising from an incident occurring around one week previously, in which a non-Romani man was reportedly attacked by inhabitants of the settlement. Following the attack, on 23 October, non-Romani villagers met and openly called for violence against local Roma. Police were reportedly present at the meeting, which was broadcast on national television, but failed to intervene.
Following the meeting, the entire Romani community fled from their homes into the forest. They spent several nights hiding in the forest in fear of retribution from non-Roma, who threatened them with a range of actions, including death. On 28 October, the local Roma attempted to return to their homes under police protection. However, approximately 200 non-Romani local residents objected to the return of the Roma and, under threat of violence, demanded that authorities resettle the Romani community living there to a more suitable location "due to security and ecological reasons". Local non-Roma reportedly maintained that "Roma would never return to the area". Due to the credible and evident threat of mob violence, Slovene police blocked access to the Romani settlement and special police units were brought in.
On the evening of 28 October, allegedly "all sides" reached an agreement that Roma would be temporary resettled to the Postojna refugee centre. In the Postojna centre, there is running water and sanitary facilities, but there is no warm water and no heating. As a result, Mr Jurij Zaletel, Head of the Sector for the Integration of Refugees and Aliens of the Ministry of Interior, said that Roma would be able to go to the nearby facility "Veliki Otok", a closed detention centre for aliens, two to three times per week in order to shower.
Slovene Human Rights Ombudsman Matjaz Hanzek reportedly stated that the rule of law has been dangerously undermined as "a mob that threatens with death can decide where someone will live". He also warned that such treatment might serve as a signal to others and that this pattern might be repeated in the future.
On 6 November, the ERRC and the Slovene section of Amnesty International sent a letter to Slovene Prime Minister Janez Jansa expressing serious concern that Slovene authorities may be involved in facilitating the forced eviction of a Romani settlement near the village of Ambrus, following actions by a non-Romani mob. The letter noted that the police acted to protect members of the Romani community from those who threatened their safety. Recognising that the relocation of the community to temporary housing in Postojna may constitute a legitimate measure to ensure their safety, concern was nonetheless expressed that the continued presence of the community in Postojna may no longer be necessary or proportionate to address the initial threat. The organisations also observed in the letter that any such limitation on the rights to privacy and to adequate housing should be limited in time strictly to what is necessary in the circumstances. Acts of racial violence should be thoroughly investigated.
In addition, police appear to have only begun to take seriously the gravity of the threats to persons concerned on 28 October, a number of days after the beginning of the episode. In the letter sent to Prime Minister Jansa, concern was also expressed that authorities had not acted with due diligence to condemn and investigate what appeared to be racially motivated attacks, with a view to bring those responsible to justice. The letter further expresses concern at reported plans to permanently relocate the affected Roma to alternate sites.
(ERRC)
