In Dialogue with Slovakia, Experts of the Human Rights Committee Commend Efforts to Improve the Legal Framework on Gender Equality, Raise Questions on the Segregation of Roma Children in Education and Legislation Restricting Freedom of Assembly
The Human Rights Committee today concluded its consideration of the fifth report of Slovakia on how it implements the provisions of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, with Committee Experts commending the State party’s efforts to improve its legal framework and approach concerning gender equality, while raising issues concerning the segregation of Roma children in education and legislation restricting freedom of assembly.
A Committee Expert said Slovakia should be commended for the efforts it had undertaken and its willingness to improve the normative framework and overall legal approach concerning gender equality.
An Expert said the Committee had been informed that only one-third of Roma children attended pre-primary education, and that there was a high percentage of early school-leaving, leading to a lower rate of secondary education and poorer participation within the labour market. The Committee had also been informed that Roma children were usually placed in ethnically segregated special schools or classes for children with mild mental disabilities. Could the delegation comment on this?
Another Committee Expert expressed concerns about legislation enacted hastily after the assassination attempt on the Prime Minister on 15 May 2024, which restricted locations for assembly and placed a blanket ban on protests. Would the State party consider revising the 2024 security law to provide greater leeway for peaceful assemblies, and limit restrictions to those that were strictly necessary and proportionate, as required by article 21 of the Covenant?
Fedor Rosocha, Ambassador and Permanent Representative of Slovakia to the United Nations Office at Geneva and head of the delegation, presenting the report, said Slovakia was a sovereign and democratic country governed by the principles of the rule of law and human rights. The Constitution of Slovakia represented a stable, long-term and consolidated basis for the protection of civil and political rights, with the constitutional enshrinement of the primacy of international human rights treaties over domestic law of particular importance.
In the ensuing discussion, the delegation said last year, a legislative package was approved by the Government that aimed to modernise the education system and remove structural barriers to education. A project was created to establish a reliable mechanism for the transition of Roma children from special to mainstream schools. Temporary adaptation classes were created, which helped children catch up academically and prepared them for entering mainstream education.
The delegation said the so-called “lex assassination” act had been enforced since 2024; it included measures to increase security and respond to the increased risk of violence in assemblies. The law explicitly stated that limitation of assemblies was only allowed in certain cases, which was in line with the Covenant.
In concluding remarks, Mr. Rosocha thanked the Committee for the opportunity to present the progress made by Slovakia in implementing the provisions of the Covenant, as well as reflect on negative experiences which the State would like to overcome. Slovakia perceived the Committee’s questions, comments and recommendations as beneficial for the country and essential for achieving its human rights obligations.
Changrok Soh, Committee Chairperson, in concluding remarks, said the Committee noted positive developments but remained concerned about the persistent segregation of Roma children in education; the absence of a clear legislative framework addressing hate crimes; rising concerns regarding freedom of expression; and the lack of female representation in politics and public life. Mr. Soh thanked the delegation for the constructive dialogue, as well as all those who had made the dialogue possible.
The delegation of Slovakia was made up of representatives of the Office of the Plenipotentiary of the Government for Roma Communities; the Ministry of Interior; the Ministry of Labour, Social Affairs and Family; the Ministry of Health; the Ministry of Justice; the Ministry of Education, Research, Development and Youth; the Ministry of Foreign and European Affairs; the Ministry of Culture; the Ministry of Transport; the National Institute for Education and Youth; the General Prosecutor’s Office; and the Permanent Mission of Slovakia to the United Nations Office at Geneva.
The Human Rights Committee’s one hundred and forty-fifth session is being held from 2 to 19 March 2026. All the documents relating to the Committee’s work, including reports submitted by States parties, can be found on the session’s webpage. Meeting summary releases can be found here. The webcast of the Committee’s public meetings can be accessed via the UN Web TV webpage.
The Committee will next meet in public at 3 p.m. today, Thursday 5 March to begin its consideration of the third periodic report of Chad (CCPR/C/TCD/3).
Report
The Committee has before it the fifth periodic report of Slovakia (CCPR/C/SVK/5).
Presentation of Report
FEDOR ROSOCHA, Ambassador and Permanent Representative of Slovakia to the United Nations Office at Geneva and head of the delegation, said the Slovakian Government highly valued the work of the Committee, in particular the monitoring of compliance with the Covenant. Slovakia was a sovereign and democratic country governed by the principles of the rule of law and human rights. The Constitution of Slovakia represented a stable, long-term and consolidated basis for the protection of civil and political rights, with the constitutional enshrinement of the primacy of international human rights treaties over domestic law of particular importance. The protection of individual dignity, equality of rights and effective judicial protection were central principles of the functioning of the constitutional system.
The Anti-Discrimination Act developed and specified the constitutional principle of equality and non-discrimination enshrined in the Constitution and formed the basic legal framework for protection against discrimination in all relevant areas of social life, including labour relations, access to education, social services and the provision of goods and services. The Slovak National Centre for Human Rights, as the national human rights institution and equality body responsible for equal treatment, had recently been strengthened in terms of staffing and budgetary resources, enabling it to expand its monitoring, analytical and advisory activities. The forthcoming amendment to the Act establishing the Centre reflected the new European standards for equal treatment bodies and aimed to gradually harmonise the legal status of the Centre with the Paris Principles.
The Council of the Government of the Slovak Republic for Human Rights and Gender Equality was an advisory body ensuring dialogue between the State and civil society, and the newly established Slovak Government Council for the Inclusion of Marginalised Roma Communities aimed to effectively coordinate the inclusion of Roma in Slovakia. The establishment of the Government Council of the Slovak Republic for National Minorities strengthened the participation and representation of national minorities in public affairs and public policymaking. There had been many critics on the amendments of the act on non-profit organisations passed in April 2025. At the end of 2025, the Constitutional Court ruled that it was incompatible with the Constitution. The Act on the Right of Assembly was amended by the so‑called “lex assassination” legislative proposals, adopted after the attempted assassination of the Prime Minister in 2024.
The Preventing and Combating Radicalisation and Extremism Strategy, in place until 2028, was a key strategic document in Slovakia, aiming to prevent and eliminate all forms of radicalisation and extremism. It was directly related to the Strategy for the Prevention of Crime and Other Anti-Social Activity in the Slovak Republic, in place until 2028, which was based on a multidisciplinary approach to crime prevention. Slovakia considered the legislative introduction of the “Information Offices” as of 1 February 2023 to be an important measure; these focused on anti-Semitism, hate speech and media literacy, and provided first aid to victims of crimes.
The Act on Victims of Crime had been repeatedly amended with the aim of systematically strengthening the procedural position of victims and ensuring their protection from secondary victimisation during criminal proceedings. Intervention centres for victims of domestic violence provided immediate professional, legal and psychosocial support and ensured coordination between involved actors. The Government had also adopted the National Programme for Combating Trafficking in Human Beings for the years 2024-2028 and its associated Action Plan for the same period.
The Platform for the Promotion of Freedom of the Press and the Protection of Journalists had drafted a functional mechanism for monitoring attacks on and crimes committed against journalists, which would be submitted to the Government Council of the Slovak Republic for Crime Prevention. The Platform, in cooperation with the National Contact Point for Strategic Lawsuits against Public Participation, aimed to develop a concept for registration system for lawsuits as well as a strategic action plan. In 2026, the Platform established temporary working groups focusing on artificial intelligence in news rooms and reporting.
Following the Committee’s recommendations concerning the situation of members of the Roma national minority, Slovakia had adopted several legislative, strategic, and implementation measures aimed at strengthening equality, inclusion, and the effective participation of Roma. A key framework in this regard was the Strategy for Equality, Inclusion and Participation of Roma until 2030 and its accompanying Action Plans. The Slovakian Government had apologised for the illegal sterilisation of women and condemned this violation of rights. The legislative draft to compensate victims of forced sterilisations was expected to be adopted this year.
During the period under review, Slovakia underwent significative legislative reforms to address segregation in education, including supporting the return of pupils from special educational streams and supporting early childhood development by expanding compulsory pre-primary education to younger age groups. As of September 2025, Ukrainian refugee children were included in Slovakia’s compulsory education system. Before concluding, Mr. Rosocha highlighted the role of the Committee in strengthening legislative and institutional framework at the national level and reaffirmed Slovakia’s support for the United Nations treaty body mechanisms.
Questions by Committee Experts
A Committee Expert appreciated that Slovakia had sent such a strong and high-level delegation, despite the late confirmation of the session. Today’s dialogue came after an interval of almost eight years, with the previous dialogue with Slovakia taking place in 2017. The Expert noted that for this review, the number of civil society submissions was limited, and regrettably the Slovak National Centre for Human Rights and civil society organizations had not engaged with the Committee in person.
One of the Committee’s concerns related to an important recent legal development in Slovakia, namely the 2025 constitutional amendments introducing article seven, paragraphs six and seven, which stated that “the Slovak Republic retains sovereignty primarily in matters of national identity” and that nothing in the Constitution or constitutional laws “shall be construed as consent to the transfer of the exercise of any part of the rights of the Slovak Republic in matters constituting its national identity.”
How did the State party interpret this article in relation to other constitutional provisions, in particular articles one and two, and to article 27 of the Vienna Convention on the Law of Treaties? How was consistency ensured across these provisions? What safeguards existed to ensure that the amendments could not limit Slovakia’s implementation of its obligations under the Covenant? What was the intended scope of the articles? What was encompassed by “national identity,” and which public authorities were tasked with determining its content and application? Did the amendments affect the State party’s understanding of the scope of its obligations under the Covenant, or the processes for implementing the Committee’s concluding observations? What measures had been taken to ensure that Covenant rights continued to be fully enjoyed in law and in practice, including through effective remedies and follow-up mechanisms?
Did Slovakia have a single, trackable implementation framework linking each recommendation from the Committee’s concluding observations on the fourth periodic report to concrete measures, a responsible authority, timelines and indicators? Were the concluding observations made public? Could some successful examples of implemented recommendations be provided? Was there a national mechanism to ensure dissemination and implementation of the Committee’s Views under the Optional Protocol?
The Committee appreciated the State party’s response concerning follow-up to its Views regarding a case on extradition to the Russian Federation. While the Committee welcomed the State party’s continued and regular monitoring and verification of the author’s condition, it remained concerned that adequate compensation had not yet been provided. Could the delegation update the Committee on the author’s current condition, and indicate whether there had been any changes in the State party’s position or measures taken since the last submission?
The Committee appreciated information on developments since the previous concluding observations, including the establishment in 2023 of a national preventive mechanism, the creation of intervention centres for victims of domestic violence, and the restructuring of advisory and plenipotentiary arrangements on minorities and on human rights and gender equality. How did these reforms translate into effective protection in practice? How did the Public Defender of Rights, the Commissioner for Children and the Commissioner for Persons with Disabilities coordinate their work, including visit planning and access to places of deprivation of liberty? What follow-up mechanism ensured implementation of the recommendations of the Public Defender of Rights? Were visit reports and Government responses published?
How many intervention centres for victims of domestic violence were operational and what was their geographic coverage? How was accessibility ensured for children, persons with disabilities, minorities, and migrant women? What indicators were used to measure effectiveness? Could an update be provided regarding the planned reform of the national equality body? How would this reform ensure the body’s independence, adequate resources and effective mandate? Did the 2025 constitutional amendments have any implications for the mandates, independence, or operating environment of these institutions?
What steps had the State party taken to ensure that civil society, the judiciary and the wider public were sufficiently aware of the Covenant and the reporting process, and were able to engage meaningfully and safely? How many civil society organizations were consulted in the preparation of the State party’s report and how they were engaged?
The Committee appreciated the information on training through the Judicial Academy, the use of United Nations recommendations in curriculum development, and the examples of domestic judgments referring to the Covenant, including in cases concerning domestic violence, privacy and deprivation of liberty. Was Covenant-related training systematic and was its impact on judicial reasoning assessed? What was the Covenant’s legal status in domestic law? Did the 2025 constitutional amendments have any impact on activities of civil society organisations and on the ability of courts to give full effect to Covenant rights?
Another Expert said that since 2014, the Slovak National Centre for Human Rights had been accredited with a “B” status. In recent years, the Centre had increased its funds significantly and it was hoped that this would continue. There had also been reforms in the way the Director of the Centre was elected, making the election a public event since 2022. Reforms had further ensured that the Centre’s reports were independent. Would Act 308/1993, which established the Centre, be amended to ensure its independence and proper functioning in accordance with the Paris Principles?
A Committee Expert welcomed the adoption of individual action plans aimed at addressing various types of discrimination. Could an update on these plans and the actions achieved be provided? What steps had been taken to give effect to the recommendations received during the Universal Periodic Review to effectively implement the anti-discrimination act? Would the State party consider increasing the capacity of the Slovak National Centre for Human Rights to represent discrimination complainants? What actions was the State party taking to decrease the length of judicial proceedings, reduce court fees, and increase the compensation awarded to victims?
In September 2025, Slovakia adopted constitutional amendments that emphasised sovereignty in matters of “national identity” and “fundamental cultural and ethical issues.” How would the State party ensure that this amendment did not infringe the human rights of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and intersex persons? The constitutional amendments further provided that Slovakia “recognises only the biologically determined sexes of male and female.” Reports indicated that this provision had made gender transitions legally and practically impossible. Could transgender individuals still change their legal gender? How was “biologically determined” sex defined, and how did the State party ensure that the amendment did not discriminate against transgender or intersex persons?
Slovakia still lacked any legal framework for recognition and protection of same sex couples. What steps did the State party intend to take in this regard? How did Slovakia ensure that same‑sex couples married in other European Union countries were guaranteed the same rights and privileges within Slovakia?
The Committee welcomed the 2016 amendment to hate speech legislation to include sexual orientation, but was aware of reports that hate speech protections were under-enforced, especially on the Internet. Additionally, the Committee noted with concern that Government officials in Slovakia had used stigmatising language to describe lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and intersex persons, including during debates in Parliament. How would the State party ensure that stigmatising rhetoric by public officials did not create a permissive environment for discrimination and violence against lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and intersex persons? Would the State publicly condemn homophobic discourse? The Committee also noted that the 2016 Criminal Code amendment did not extend hate speech protections to gender identity; would the State party consider introducing such an amendment now?
Another Expert echoed concerns expressed by the Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination about racist hate speech against Roma and people of African descent, as well as against non-citizens. There was still no specific definition of hate crime in Slovakia, but in the Criminal Code, there was the notion of “extremism.” What did extremism mean in criminal law? Could statistics be provided on the number of people convicted of racist hate crimes? What measures were being taken to identify victims of hate crimes, encourage them to file a complaint, and prevent secondary victimisation? What measures had been taken to identify and prevent the root causes of anti-Roma, anti-migrant, anti-non-national, anti-women, Islamophobic, anti-Semitic and anti-Gypsy hate speech?
In its previous concluding observations, the Committee had raised the issue of Roma’s access to housing and decent living conditions. The situation had reportedly worsened since the last review. Roma people faced systemic discrimination in access to public services and lacked access to decent housing, forcing people to live in deplorable conditions with no access to drinking water, electricity and fire protection. What concrete measures had been taken to combat these structural and intersectional discriminations?
An Expert said the Committee had been informed that only one-third of Roma children attended pre-primary education, and that there was a high percentage of early school leaving, leading to a lower rate of secondary education and poorer participation within the labour market. The Committee had also been informed that Roma children were usually placed in ethnically segregated special schools or classes for children with mild mental disabilities. Could the delegation comment on this?
Had the State party considered special training for teachers and pedagogical staff, aiming to create a safe and friendly school environment and develop school-parent cooperation in the context of education? The State party had prescribed compulsory pre-primary education for all children who reached the age of five within the School Act. How did the State monitor, promote or sanction non-compliance with that obligation with regard to Roma children? Had measures been developed to work with parents to enable them to fulfil that obligation? Had Slovakia considered certain stimulation measures for families, such as granting a scholarship for children? Were schools at risk of segregation monitored? Would the State party consider the integration of Romani language into mainstream school education?
Slovakia should be commended for the efforts it had undertaken and its willingness to improve the normative framework and overall legal approach concerning gender equality. Had targets been included within the State’s strategies, or indicators that would facilitate monitoring? Were there reports by bodies responsible for the implementation of strategies related to gender equality?
Women’s involvement in political life, high level and managerial functions was not satisfactory. Although the percentage of women in national parliament was growing, the composition of the Government indicated a different trend. Had the State set targets in terms of percentages of women in elected positions and appointed public positions? What concrete measures had been undertaken to reach a better balance between men and women in high-ranking positions in private and public sectors? There were reports that patriarchal stereotypes of the roles and responsibilities of women and men in society and in family were very much present in Slovakia. What measures had been applied to promote gender equality?
Responses by the Delegation
Regarding the Constitutional amendments of 2025, the delegation said the concept of “national identity” within them was a legal notion. The new articles were coherent with the Slovakian Constitution, did not cause any issues and were in line with international law. The Constitutional Court had ruled that the Constitution had priority over international law, as it was based on the democratic self-determination of the Slovakian people. The case law of the Constitutional Court claimed “friendliness” with Slovakia’s international obligations, as long as they were not in contradiction with the Constitution. With the adoption of the Constitutional amendments, Slovakia did not cease to be a member of the United Nations, European Union or the Council of Europe. The Covenant could be directly invoked in any court or administrative proceedings in Slovakia.
In the Committee’s 2024 View on a case related to extradition to the Russian Federation, the Committee stated that Slovakia had violated the rights of the complainant under the Covenant and asked the State to regularly review their detention conditions. The last visit undertaken was in November 2024. The Slovakian Government did not plan to compensate the complainant.
Slovakia ratified the Optional Protocol to the Convention against Torture in 2023 and established the national preventive mechanism for monitoring places of detention. The mechanism was implemented through three independent institutions: the Public Defender, the Commissioner for Children and the Commissioner for Persons with Disabilities. Within the mandate, they carried out systematic visitations to sites where people could be held in detention, assessed risk factors leading to torture or inhumane treatment and aimed to improve the conditions of detention. The end results of the visits were reports which described the conditions of each facility, which were sent to public administration offices. The Commissioner for Children oversaw facilities for children who were deprived of their liberty or placed in State care, including special education centres. In 2024, 11 unannounced monitoring visits were carried out. Based on these visits, 60 recommendations were identified, as well as 30 examples of good practices. The Ministry of Justice cooperated with the mechanism, working to address the gaps recorded in visit reports. This system created a tool against torture and ill-treatment and supported the dignity of detained people.
Civil society was involved in the preparation of the State’s report. The report was discussed in the Council of the Government for Human Rights, a consultative body addressing human rights and fundamental freedoms. The Committee’s previous concluding recommendations were translated into Slovakian and published on the website of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs so the public could access them.
Act 201 established a new way to build dwellings for Roma communities in segregated areas. Working under the national project for the Roma, the State had obtained plots for these communities in 200 municipalities. Some 51 million euros had been allocated to improve housing in areas with Roma communities. Assistance had been provided to segregated Roma communities, allowing them to legalise housing which had been built illegally. The Government had a scheme which allowed Roma people living in module houses to eventually purchase them for a symbolic price. This was an efficient way to deliver good housing for the Roma population. The module houses would meet all building code standards, including sewerage, water and electricity, which the Roma would pay for with a credit system.
A significant legal reform had been implemented in the field of education, aiming to strengthen equal access to education and avoid segregation practices. Last year, a legislative package was approved by the Government, aiming to modernise the education system and remove structural barriers to education. This legislation explicitly integrated anti-segregation principles into multiple areas of education, including through lowering the age of compulsory education to children aged three from 2028.
A national project aimed at combatting segregation had tested anti-segregation tools in 13 localities, which had been specifically selected due to the different manifestations of segregation in these areas. Systematic solutions would be created based on these tools.
A project was created to establish a reliable mechanism for the transition of Roma children from special to mainstream schools. Temporary adaptation classes were created, which helped children catch up academically and prepared them for entering mainstream education. The project also provided funding for training teachers in receiving Roma children in mainstream schools, and was accompanied by awareness raising campaigns targeting parents and the wider public where these transitions took place. Another project had been developed to create an early warning system, allowing schools to identify students at risk of dropping out and provide them with targeted support.
The Slovakian Criminal Code did not have a specific criminal offence for hate crimes, but used the term “crimes of extremism,” which referred to crimes and movements aimed at supressing fundamental rights and freedoms, among other offences. Hate crimes were encompassed within the term “crimes of extremism.” The Criminal Code contained a specific offense for hate targeted at another group, or at someone for their political views.
Follow-Up Questions by Committee Experts
Committee Experts asked follow-up questions relating to the Roma strategy for education; the Constitutional and national identity; whether gender transition was legally available in the State party; stigmatising language by Government officials; legal definitions of hate crime; measures taken to address hate speech, including statistics; measures to implement the all the Committee’s recommendations relating to the case of extradition to the Russian Federation; and whether the State party would reform legislation to guarantee the independence of the Slovakian National Human Rights Centre.
Responses by the Delegation
The delegation said Slovakia had made many advancements in gender equality, including through the directive imposing gender balance on companies, requiring 40 per cent of non-executive director positions and 33 per cent of all positions, including as executive directors, to be held by women. This directive aimed to increase women’s representation in executive positions and decrease the gender pay gap by five percent by 2030. Another State campaign focused on closing the gender pay gap, removing gender stereotypes and changing the public’s perception of “men’s work” and “women’s work”, and improving work-life balance. A project had been created which introduced a methodology which enabled employees to identify whether women were being discriminated at work. Slovakia supported equal pay for men and women.
Marriage was defined as an act between a man and a woman under the law. Currently, the law did not recognise marriage between people of the same sex or same sex partnerships. There were currently no plans to make changes in this regard. However, Slovakia placed a strong emphasis on equal rights for all and prohibited discrimination on a wide range of grounds, including sexual orientation, marital status and family status.
There were no regulations within the Constitution which discriminated against lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and intersex persons. The Slovakian Constitution stated that “sex” was biologically determined and was binary, being either male or female. The Constitution did not prevent medical transitions or gender reassignment. Transition was allowed under certain conditions; there needed to be a hormonal procedure over a one-year period, monitored by a doctor, before surgery could take place.
Slovakia was still a Member State of the United Nations and the European Union; there was no tension between the notion of “national identity” and the obligations of Slovakia stemming from international law. The Court of Justice of the European Union had confirmed that the concept of “national identity” included the official protection of a language of a Member State.
Intervention centres were a key element of the system of protection for victims of domestic violence in Slovakia. Currently, at least one centre operated in each region, ensuring nationwide coverage and availability of services across the country. Persons did not need to file a criminal complaint to access services; this made access easier for those in vulnerable situations. Services were provided free of charge. If children were present in a household affected by domestic violence, the competent authorities were notified and would provide special assistance.
A legislative process was underway to strengthen the position of the National Centre for Human Rights to help potential victims of violence. Criteria had also been introduced to ensure that the members of the management board of the Centre were independent and promote a more transparent selection process. The Managing Director of the Centre was obliged to be independent and could not receive any directives from public authorities.
Healthcare in Slovakia was guaranteed for all — the law prohibited discrimination based on sex, ethnicity and other characteristics. Roma healthcare workers had been employed for fieldwork, to improve inclusion of Roma communities.
Questions by Committee Experts
A Committee Expert said they recognised that Slovakia had improved the national legal system in regard to countering violence against women. However, the Committee had received information that domestic violence was still widespread, with an estimated 85 per cent of women not reporting incidents to police. What measures had the State party considered to empower women to report violence and to gain their trust that they would be protected? What measures were being taken to address patriarchal patterns and encourage men to respect women? Was there enough public information about protection of women victims of violence, and about successful outcomes for women victims in terms of rulings, compensation, sanctions for perpetrators?
Would the training and sensitising of judges be considered? Would the State party organise systematic training and specialisation of police officers to deal with incidents of violence against women? What measures targeting law enforcement officers were being developed to regain women’s trust in the police? Could more information be provided about the information centres?
Had there have been continuous anti-trafficking specialised trainings organised for prosecutors and judges, leading to their better understanding of this phenomenon and more appropriate judgements and sanctions? In most cases, victims were compensated by the State, according to the Act on Victims of Crime. Had Slovakia considered amending laws to enable direct compensation of a victim by the perpetrator, through confiscation or freezing of their assets? Was evidence of financial gain from the exploitation of victims considered in criminal investigations? Had the principle of non-punishment of trafficked persons been introduced into the national legal system? What safeguards were in place to protect victims themselves from criminal accountability? What measures had been developed to protect victims and potential victims from internet recruitment and exploitation?
The Committee welcomed the official apologies presented in 2021 to the women who were victims of forced sterilisations mentioned by the head of the delegation. In November 2025, a bill was formulated to grant the sum of 12,000 euros to each victim, a proposal discussed by Parliament in January 2026. What was the status of the discussion and the timeline for the implementation of these remedial measures?
Slovakia was among the European States in which access to abortion was made the most difficult, and bills were regularly devised to restrict or even prohibit access to abortion, which would be contrary to several articles within the Covenant. It also appeared that one of the measures of the 2025 constitutional reform limited sex education in schools. What measures were being taken to ensure access to safe, free and non-discriminatory access to abortion throughout the State? Could the delegation explain more about its policy on sexual and reproductive health?
According to the Committee’s information, the procedures for granting refugee status were lengthy, the immigration detention period could be up to 28 days and the figures for granting status was relatively low. Could the delegation comment on this information? What measures had been taken in favour of Ukrainians who had fled the ongoing conflict? Did people who were not recognised as refugees continue to benefit from temporary protection? How many people did this concern and were they entitled to equal access to basic services such as health and education?
Another Committee Expert said the Committee was aware of revisions to the legal framework, including 2023 reforms of anti-corruption measures targeting prosecutors and judges, and the creation of new administrative courts under the reformed court map. Could updated information be provided? Had the State achieved any concrete improvements? The Committee had received several reports that public perception of judicial independence in Slovakia was low, which could be attributable to public criticism of judges by Government officials. Could the Committee comment on threats to judicial independence and explain what efforts were being taken to insulate the judiciary from political pressure?
The Committee understood that the Government replaced nine Judicial Council members in 2024, and that the Ministry of Justice had proposed reforms to increase the Council’s influence over disciplinary panels. Why were these nine members dismissed, and would the State Party would consider providing greater transparency on the process for dismissing Judicial Council members?
The Committee recognised that the State party had made progress in the area of freedom of expression, adopting the European Media Freedom Act and developing a Strategic Plan to implement the Council of Europe recommendation on strategic lawsuits against public participation. However, it was concerning that the State party had not transposed the European Union Anti- Strategic Lawsuits Against Public Participation Directive into national law, despite calls from many stakeholders to do so. When would Slovakia decriminalise defamation and transpose the Directive into national law?
The Committee commended the State party for adopting the Platform for Press Freedom and Protection of Journalists. However, it was concerned about reports of rising violence and harassment against journalists and human rights defenders, as well as laws that had eroded media independence and pluralism. For example, the 2024 Act on Slovak Television and Radio revised the appointment process for public media governance bodies, raising concerns about political influence over broadcasters. There had also been violent assaults against several political commentators and journalists. What legislative and investigative steps would the State party take to effectively protect these and other journalists and to ensure that human rights defenders could safely carry out their work?
In April 2025, Slovakia enacted Law No. 109/2025, which amended several prior acts relating to non-profit organizations. This law was finalised in a very short timeframe with no opportunity for meaningful consultations with civil society, and it imposed significant regulatory burdens and penalties on non-governmental organizations. A December 2025 ruling by the Constitutional Court held that Law 109 contravened the rights to freedom of association, privacy and freedom of information. Did the State party have plans to introduce new legislation to regulate non-governmental organizations?
The Committee had concerns about legislation enacted hastily after the assassination attempt on the Prime Minister on 15 May 2024, which restricted locations for assembly and placed a blanket ban on protests. The Committee appreciated that the Slovak Republic faced a serious security situation following the attempt on the Prime Minister’s life, however concerns about the draft law were echoed by other human rights institutions. Would the State party consider revising the 2024 security law to provide greater leeway for peaceful assemblies, and limit restrictions to those that were strictly necessary and proportionate, as required by article 21 of the Covenant?
The Committee was concerned that the crime of torture had not been established in the Penal Code. Information had been received on police abuse and ill-treatment practices on the Roma minority, and in juvenile centres and detention centres. According to data from the Slovak Ministry of the Interior, almost 90 per cent of complaints of police violence were rejected. Could more information be provided on victims of the use of excessive police force; whether the Complaints Inspection Office would be reformed to function independently; and on the measures under development related to the 2023 Government Declaration to prevent and criminalise torture?
The Committee was concerned that detainees, including minors, did not enjoy all fundamental legal guarantees from the moment they were deprived of their liberty, including the right to notify a family member and another person of their detention. Were these rights real and effective in all cases? Were conditions of detention in accordance with the Mandela Rules on the treatment of prisoners and the Bangkok Rules on women prisoners? Would the law or protocols be reformed to avoid prolonged periods of detention in small and inappropriate areas?
The Committee was concerned that the distinction between “religions” and “civic associations” in legislation affected freedom of religion in its individual and collective manifestations. In addition, civic associations in Slovakia could not be identified as religious groups, nor could they carry out activities related to the practice of religion reserved for religious groups. Would Slovakia reform its law to eliminate the numerical criterion that discriminated against religions that had fewer than 50,000 registered adults? Would Islam be considered as a religion in Slovakia?
Another Expert asked if the delegation could clarify the current legal framework providing a clear and comprehensive prohibition of corporal punishment of children in all settings? Did Act No. 372/1990 expressly cover “corporal punishment” in child-rearing contexts, or was corporal punishment addressed indirectly through general provisions on violence? What were the timeline, target groups, and authorities responsible for implementing the National Strategy and Action Plan, and how was its impact evaluated?
Responses by the Delegation
The delegation said Slovakia had been implementing measures to strengthen protection of victims of domestic violence, with electronic monitoring on aggressors used as one of the key systems. Slovakia was one of the few countries in the European Union which had enshrined in its civil law the possibility of ordering electronic monitoring without the need for court proceedings. The judicial academy of Slovakia had launched training for judges and prosecutors on a variety of topics, including understanding victims of domestic violence, children as witnesses to violence, and childcare in cases of domestic violence, among other tropics. A project had been launched to pilot and test re-localisation programmes focusing on the family and violence.
Slovakia recognised that violence against women was underreported, and addressing this was an important priority of the victim protection framework. Intervention centres provided specalised assistance to victims. Slovakia was currently working on the disposition of the European Union Directive on combatting violence against women, which included factors such as the training of professionals, regulations on reporting obligations in healthcare and strengthening the role of healthcare professionals as reporters of violence.
Since 2017, the police had used numerous methods to verify domestic violence, including a questionnaire to evaluate the risk of violence, and to protect victims. In certain cases, extradition measures could be imposed to remove perpetrators from households. In 2024, 1,016 people were extradited from their households, with 1,107 being extradited in 2025. Each year, women made up just a small percentage of those being removed. There were 25 special interrogation rooms used for questioning children and victims of domestic violence, with over 400 police officers trained to carry out investigations in these rooms. Conferences and lectures had been developed for the public, and information on domestic violence was delivered on the Government’s website and on social media.
In December 2025, the Government introduced an amendment to the Criminal Code that criminalised the deliberate service of a victim for trafficking purposes and raised the minimum penalty for the basic offence of trafficking in human beings from four to five years. It was expected that the amendment would be adopted by Parliament later this year.
Information offices for victims of crime carried out education and preventive activities on the topic of prevention of trafficking. More than 5,000 information activities had been carried out in this regard. The centres aimed to raise public awareness on the topic of trafficking, providing information to vulnerable groups, and provide counselling to victims.
Slovakia was currently preparing a draft law to provide compensation for persons sterilised unlawfully between 1966 and 2004. The State ensured the protection of reproductive rights in accordance with international and national laws. Information about reproductive health was available through health providers and online. Healthcare providers needed to ensure consent for every patient.
In Slovakia, abortion was legal until 12 weeks of determined pregnancy, and even later than 12 weeks if there were certain health reasons. The medical procedure was carried out surgically in a healthcare facility. The accessibility of the pharmacological method of abortion was a topic which touched upon ethical issues. Informed consent was required, signed and dated by the person requesting abortion or their legal guardian. Sexual education for students addressed risks of pregnancy and ways of preventing pregnancy, with university students receiving deeper education on reproductive rights. The Slovakian Constitution contained a unique regulation which protected human life before birth. The Constitutional Court had ruled that women seeking abortion needed to submit a written request, undergo a medical checkup and pay a fee.
Since 2023, there was a new State educational programme being implemented in Slovakia. It addressed misinformation in the online environment, among other topics.
Since the start of the conflict in Ukraine, Slovakia had offered 180,000 Ukrainian refugees temporary protection, unifying the national legislative framework with European guidelines. These Ukrainians had the same rights as any asylum seeker, meaning they had access to the labour market, health care and education. Slovakia offered State housing facilities, which could house around 1,000 people. Any refugee coming from Ukraine was initially offered accommodation for 60 days.
In the past ten years, Slovakia had received an increase in asylum requests, from around 85,000 to around 360,000. A scheduling system was introduced in 2025, allowing requests to be submitted online. A process was also being developed to provide identification documents digitally. In 2025, the State had identified 1,500 illegal migrants, with only 146 being detained in police facilities.
Municipalities were legally required to maintain records of children of school age and monitor their school attendance. Their guardians could face administrative sanctions if school attendance was not upheld. Since 2022, teams had been operating that provided support to Ukrainian refugees in schools.
The Constitution stated that members of the Judicial Council could be dismissed at any time without announcing the reasoning for the dismissal.
Amendments to the Criminal Code had not removed any of the procedural tools to detect corruption. A department for serious crimes had been created, which primarily focused on corruption. Perpetrators of corruption were tried in a specialised criminal court.
A 2025 Slovakian Government resolution set a timeframe for developing a plan to increase the safety of journalists. In 2023, the “Safe Journalism” initiative was officially launched. This was an independent response mechanism which aimed to ensure the monitoring of the protection of journalists. Free legal aid, a telephone reporting line, and security training was offered to journalists in need through this initiative. In 2025, a draft methodology for police procedures was developed to protect journalists at high-risk mass events.
Since 2023, a new system of journalist protection had been implemented, including through a decree from the president of the police corps. Various measures had been implemented for the regional and district police directorates. In June 2025, an act was created to increase transparency of the financing of non-governmental organisations. The issues of money laundering and financing terrorism were key concerns. The State had seen the need to set up new frameworks to eliminate these risks and increase transparency, because of discrepancies in certain financial documents.
The so-called “lex assassination” act had been enforced since 2024; it included measures to increase security and respond to the increased risk of violence in assemblies. The law explicitly stated that limitation of assemblies was only allowed in certain cases, which was in line with the Covenant.
The police corps did not tolerate any violence or excessive use of power by police officers. Police officers who were a witness of this kind of behaviour were obligated to immediately report it to their senior management. Police officers received long-term, systematic training through the police academy. The training section of the police corps also provided training on specialised tactics. New body cameras had been introduced for police officers, with over 600 cameras regularly worn by traffic and regular police.
Systematic efforts were being made to educate prison corps to ensure that detainees’ rights were provided in a way that was easy to understand by all, including those with disabilities and minors. Work had been undertaken to comply with the Nelson Mandela Rules and the Bangkok Rules. This included ensuring that cells were an appropriate size, ensuring appropriate visiting hours for children, and lifting the ban on telephone calls as a disciplinary punishment, among other measures. Convicted women with children could either serve their sentence in a special unit where their children could stay with them up to the age of five years, or have their punishment suspended for a few years. New gender-specific resocialisation programmes for women were also being developed.
Muslims in Slovakia could exercise their religion individually or collectively without registration. Muslims did not receive public funds and could not teach children in public schools; this was exclusively for registered churches and religious movements.
The Act on Family mandated parents to ensure the proper protection, upbringing and education of their children. Under this Act, any form of corporal punishment, including for educational purposes, was unacceptable. Corporal punishment could be clarified as a crime of child abuse.
Follow-Up Questions by Committee Experts
Committee Experts asked follow-up questions relating to the obligation of healthcare professionals to report cases of violence against women; the ratification of the Istanbul Convention; clarification on the number of asylum requests; if details of people requesting access to abortion needed to be provided to the police; whether abortion was permitted in cases of marital rape; the content of the courses on marriage preparation; plans to decriminalise defamation; how the law on public assemblies was devised and if there were safeguards in place to ensure it was not applied disproportionately; if modifications were envisaged to the Criminal Code to criminalise torture; if the State planned to bolster the independence of the body investigating torture; and if the distinction between “civic association” and “religious community” could lead to discrimination.
Responses by the Delegation
The delegation said the Constitutional Court, in its 2007 judgement, explicitly stated that an unborn life must be protected, even by its mother. There was unequal treatment between civil associations and religious communities, with civil associations not receiving public funds and not being permitted to teach children at public schools.
The number of foreigners currently living in Slovakia had risen significantly over the past 10 years, which had posed numerous challenges to officials. Some 163 people had applied for asylum in 2025, with people granted asylum in Slovakia in 73 cases.
Although Slovakia had not ratified the Istanbul Convention, protection of victims from domestic violence was included in the legal framework, including through the intervention centres, which provided specialised support to victims. The State was working to transpose the European Union Directive on domestic violence into domestic legislation.
The waiting period prior to abortion aimed to ensure that the decision was informed and voluntary.
Closing Statements
FEDOR ROSOCHA, Ambassador and Permanent Representative of Slovakia to the United Nations Office at Geneva and head of the delegation, thanked the Committee for the opportunity to present the progress made by Slovakia in implementing the provisions of the Covenant, as well as negative experiences which the State would like to overcome. Slovakia perceived the Committee’s questions, comments and recommendations as beneficial for the country and essential for achieving its human rights obligations. The State would exert maximum effort to implement the Committee’s recommendations.
CHANGROK SOH, Committee Chairperson, said the Committee had engaged with Slovakia on a wide range of issues concerning the Covenant. It noted positive developments such as strengthening the functioning and monitoring of human rights institutions, measures to enhance the protection of victims in criminal proceedings and initiatives to promote gender equality and address the gender pay gap. However, the Committee remained concerned about the persistent segregation of Roma children in education; the impact of recent constitutional development on the rights of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and intersex persons; the absence of a clear legislative framework addressing hate crimes; rising concerns regarding freedom of expression; and the lack of female representation in politics and public life. Mr. Soh thanked the delegation for the constructive dialogue, as well as all those who had made the dialogue possible.
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CCPR26.004E