© European Confederation of Police www.eurocop-police.org

Newsflash no. 02/05 EXPRESS

Police officers in Slovakia will in the future be submitted to military jurisdiction. By passing amendments to the Criminal Code and the Code of Criminal Procedure, the Slovakian Parliament has finally succumbed to the government’s wish to remilitarise the police service in Slovakia.

This step does not come totally unexpected: It was the fourth time in only three years that the government has tried to change the law accordingly. On previous occasions however, OzP and EuroCOP could in joint efforts convince enough Parliamentarians not to vote in favour of the Government’s proposal.

EuroCOP has reacted immediately reacted to the new situation with a press release on 16 June 2005 and has called upon the President of the Slovak Republic to make use of his constitutional powers and to refer the bill back to Parliament. This has not happened and consequently the law has entered into force.

Cases against police officers in Slovakia will thus in the future be dealt with by the Military Courts. The consequence will be less transparency, fewer procedural rights for the officers concerned, and more severe punishments.

In addition, police officers will be considered as soldiers for the purposes of criminal law during times of war or war footing making it possible to extend so called crimes such as ‘undermining moral’ including severe punishments to police officers. The question whether police officers in Slovakia will as a consequence also be considered as Combatants under the Geneva Convention is unresolved.

The Executive Committee is thus currently pursuing our cause at the Council of Europe and in the European Parliament with the goal of rectifying this huge mistake that is to the detriment not only of our colleagues in Slovakia but also to that of the Slovak People.

OzP Slovakia and the Executive Committee count upon your support in this matter