Anti-Roma Police Violence in Veľká Ida Must be Investigated for Racist Motivation Says ERRC and Amnesty International
01 July 2025
Bratislava, Brussels 1 July 2025 - The European Roma Rights Centre (ERRC) and Amnesty International Slovakia are deeply alarmed by media reports of police violence against Romani residents during a police operation in the Romani community of Veľká Ida, Slovakia, on 28 June 2025. According to publicly available information, including footage circulating on social media, Slovak police fired warning shots, used physical violence, and carried out what appears to be a collective and punitive police response against the Romani community. Women, children, and elderly residents were reportedly caught up in the operation.
The Slovak Inspection Service (ÚIS) has confirmed that it is investigating suspected abuse of power by police officers involved in the incident. According to official statements, the inspection is reviewing CCTV footage from buildings in the area as well as body-worn camera recordings from the officers present. The President of the Police Force has also ordered a review, and the Office of the Government Plenipotentiary for Roma Communities has stated that, according to initial information from witnesses, the police had used various enforcing measures in an inappropriate manner.
In addition to these official steps, the ERRC and Amnesty International Slovakia are formally filing a complaint with the police inspection service (ÚIS), demanding that the investigation thoroughly examines whether racial motivation played a role in the police action. The organisations stress that addressing the potential racist motive is crucial for ensuring accountability and justice.
Despite these formal steps, Amnesty International Slovakia and the ERRC are deeply concerned that investigations into police violence against Roma in Slovakia have historically been ineffective and have consistently failed to deliver justice. Romani communities in Slovakia continue to be subjected to police brutality and raids, with systemic impunity for law enforcement officers involved in such actions. As a result, cases of police brutality towards Roma usually end up before the European Court of Human Rights which, in vast majority of cases, has found violations of the rights of Romani applicants.
“This is not an isolated incident. This is part of a pattern of systemic police brutality against Roma in Slovakia that the government has continuously failed to address. Romani communities in Slovakia live with the terrifying knowledge that those tasked with protecting them may instead brutalise them,” said Rado Sloboda, Director of Amnesty International Slovakia. “It is not enough to quietly review body camera footage behind closed doors. The whole investigation must be transparent, independent, and involve the voices of those directly affected.”
“The Slovak police have clearly not learned any lessons when it comes to policing Romani communities. Their racism has cost Slovak taxpayers hundreds of thousands, if not millions, of euros in court-ordered-compensation over the years, and here we are, more than a decade since the raid in Moldava nad Bodvou, and we still see no accountability and no independent investigation for police brutality. As long as it remains police officers investigating police officers, there can be no hope of justice from within Slovakia” added Đorđe Jovanović, the President of the ERRC.
The organisations remind the Slovak government that it is bound by international and European human rights law. The use of force by law enforcement must always be lawful, necessary, and proportionate. Any failure to properly investigate (including potential racial motivation), prosecute, and remedy incidents of police violence against Roma violates country’s obligations under the European Convention on Human Rights and the International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination.
The ERRC and Amnesty International Slovakia will continue to follow this case closely and demand full transparency and accountability. The Slovak authorities must ensure that the ongoing investigations are independent, impartial, effective, and fully transparent. Every piece of relevant evidence — including body-worn camera footage, CCTV recordings, and testimonies — must be properly examined. Victims of police abuse must be guaranteed access to justice, protection from retaliation, and full reparations.
This press release is also available in Slovak.
For more information, or to arrange an interview contact:
Jonathan Lee
Advocacy & Communications Director
European Roma Rights Centre
jonathan.lee@errc.org
+32 49 288 7679
Daniela Mužíková
Communications Manager
Amnesty International Slovakia
komunikacia@amnesty.sk
