Slovene authorities shoot several hundred animals in Romani settlement

07 December 1999

Between July 13-15, 1999, the Slovenian Veterinary Institute, assisted by the police and a local hunters group, carried out a mass extermination of animals in Romani settlements in the Dolenjska and Bela Krajina regions in southeast Slovenia. According to the Helsinki Monitor of Slovenia, the Veterinary Institute executed two hundred and eleven dogs over the two-day period. Many of the animals were shot to death with firearms.

According to the Maribor daily Večer of August 7, the Veterinary Institute of Slovenia justified this action by stating that an increase in the number of dogs on Romani settlements represented a health risk. They also claimed that "some Roma torture dogs brutally and eat them." A report issued by the Veterinary Institute claimed that the only dogs shot were unvaccinated and they were shot outside the Romani settlements "from a safe distance." They also claimed they had the approval of 60% of the Roma but remained silent with respect to the sentiments of the remaining 40%. It is also unclear from the report which Roma had been asked and at what stage in the proceedings. Testimony provided to the Helsinki Monitor indicated that dogs were shot inside the settlements and many executions took place in front of children despite the pleas of parents, many of whom offered to pay for the vaccination. During the shooting, one Romani man was shot in the foot, but fortunately the bullet lodged in the heel of his shoe. One dog was reportedly shot through a closed window, while lying on a bed inside a house. Some cats were also killed, although vaccination for cats is not obligatory. Even though the dogs were said to have parasites, the dead dogs were reportedly taken away by a company to be ground into fodder for feeding chickens and pigs.

The Helsinki Monitor of Slovenia reported that only Romani settlements were targeted for animal-killing raids. According to the same source, police confirmed that they do not usually take part in veterinary actions, and that they did so this time at the request of the Veterinary Institute, out of fear that their staff would be opposed by the Romani owners of dogs. Under Slovene law there is no provision for the execution of an unvaccinated animal. The Helsinki Monitor requested that the State Prosecutor press charges against the associations which implemented the action. Slovene Human Rights Ombudsman Mr Ivan Bizjak told the ERRC on November 15 that in his view the series of raids were not motivated by racial discrimination.

(ERRC, Helsinki Monitor of Slovenia, Večer)