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Human rights in Slovakia are governed by the laws of Slovakia and overseen by international organizations such as the Council of Europe.
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Human rights in Slovakia are governed by the laws of Slovakia and overseen by international organizations such as the Council of Europe.
Chapter two of the Constitution of Slovakia outlines the rights and freedoms guaranteed by law. These include the rights to life, privacy, due process, dignity, property, religion, free movement, free speech, free press, petition, association, and voting, as well as freedoms from torture, cruel punishment, and slavery. The constitution also guarantees that rights can not be protected in a discriminatory manner. [1]
The Office of the Public Defender of Rights and the Slovak National Center for Human Rights are responsible for protecting rights in Slovakia. Elections in Slovakia have been found to be free and fair by the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe. The law provides for government action to be made transparent, and government contracts are disclosed to the public. Corruption by government officials is a criminal offense under Slovak law, and isolated cases of corruption in the government have been identified. [2] The government of Slovakia has implemented measures to combat corruption. Anti-corruption raids have been conducted by the police, and dozens of state officials have been charged with corruption and related crimes between 2020 and 2021. Women and LGBT groups are underrepresented in politics. [3]
The Democracy Index rated Slovakia as a "Flawed Democracy" in 2021 with a score of 7.03 out of 10, placing it 45th out of 167 countries. [4] Freedom House rated Slovakia as "Free" in 2022 with a score of 90 out of 100. [3]
As of 2021, the United States Department of State classifies Slovakia's human trafficking prevention as "Tier 2", meaning that it "does not fully meet the minimum standards for the elimination of trafficking but is making significant efforts to do so". Human trafficking is criminalized by Section 179 of the criminal code, with penalties ranging from four to ten years in prison. In 2021, Slovakia initiated 15 investigations into sex trafficking, four for forced labor, and three for forced begging. The government of Slovakia also funds a non-governmental organization to assist victims of human trafficking. [5]
Arbitrary detention, arbitrary deprivation of life, and torture are illegal and not practiced in Slovakia. Laws regarding inhuman or degrading punishment are generally respected, though occasional reports of police abuse exist. Defendants are guaranteed the right to a fair trial, an independent judiciary, the presumption of innocence, and legal counsel. Trust in an independent judiciary has been undermined in Slovakia by accusations of corruption and inefficiency. According to the European Union, only 28% of Slovak citizens had confidence in the judiciary as of 2021. [2]
Freedom of expression and freedom of the press are guaranteed under the law of Slovakia. Libel laws are treated as criminal offenses and have been used to restrict reporting by the media and suppress criticism of politicians and other notable figures. Hate speech and Holocaust denial are criminal offenses. [2] The 2018 murder of Ján Kuciak in response to his investigations into corruption represented a major attack on the freedom of the press in Slovakia. [3]
Discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation and gender identity is illegal, but this law is not consistently enforced. Political representation of LGBT people in Slovakia is limited. Politicians rarely identify as LGBT and public comments disparaging the LGBT community are common. The government requires individuals seeking legal gender recognition to be sterilized. [2]
The constitution guarantees equality on the basis of race, nationality, ethnicity, and any other status. Hate crimes are penalized more strictly in Slovakia. Anti-discrimination laws are enforced inconsistently, and the Romani people in particular experience discrimination, harassment, and police brutality. The Romani people are often segregated from other groups in Slovakia, and crimes against the Romani are not sufficiently investigated. [2] The government of Slovakia has acknowledged its role in the forced sterilizations of thousands of Romani women. [6]
The constitution states that there is no official religion of Slovakia and that equality is guaranteed on the basis of religion. Government recognition of religious groups grants special privileges such as ministering in prisons, performing wedding ceremonies, and receiving subsidies. To be granted recognition, religious groups are required to submit the signatures of 50,000 adherents. Students are required to attend religious instruction in school, though alternatives are available. Materials advocating discrimination or hatred against a religious group are illegal and punishable by up to eight years in prison. Despite this, antisemitism and Islamophobia are prevalent in Slovakia, and both are common in the political campaigns of extremist parties. [7]
The constitution guarantees equality on the basis of sex. Women are granted full political freedoms in Slovakia, and in 2019 the country elected its first woman president. Women are underrepresented in parliament, making up about 21% of the parliament in 2020. Domestic violence in Slovakia is widespread, and outreach for victims of domestic violence is low. [2] Slovakia signed the Istanbul Convention on violence against women but had not ratified it as of 2021. [6]
Civil liberties are guarantees and freedoms that governments commit not to abridge, either by constitution, legislation, or judicial interpretation, without due process. Though the scope of the term differs between countries, civil liberties may include the freedom of conscience, freedom of press, freedom of religion, freedom of expression, freedom of assembly, the right to security and liberty, freedom of speech, the right to privacy, the right to equal treatment under the law and due process, the right to a fair trial, and the right to life. Other civil liberties include the right to own property, the right to defend oneself, and the right to bodily integrity. Within the distinctions between civil liberties and other types of liberty, distinctions exist between positive liberty/positive rights and negative liberty/negative rights.
The human rights situation in Cambodia is facing growing criticisms both within the country and from an increasingly alarmed international community. After a series of flagrant violations against basic human rights a feeling of incertitude regarding the direction the country is emerging, sometimes comparing the situation to a newborn Burma.
Bolivia's constitution and laws technically guarantee a wide range of human rights, but in practice these rights very often fail to be respected and enforced. “The result of perpetual rights violations by the Bolivian government against its people,” according to the Foundation for Sustainable Development, “has fueled a palpable sense of desperation and anger throughout the country.”
In 2011, Algerian president Abdelaziz Bouteflika, who had been in power from 1999 to 2019, lifted a state of emergency that had been in place since the end of the Algerian Civil War in 2002, as a result of the Arab Spring protests that had occurred throughout the Arab world.
Human rights in Romania are generally respected by the government. However, there have been concerns regarding allegations of police brutality, mistreatment of the Romani minority, government corruption, poor prison conditions, and compromised judicial independence. Romania was ranked 59th out of 167 countries in the 2015 Democracy Index and is described as a "flawed democracy", similar to other countries in Central or Eastern Europe.
Human rights in Jordan are similar to or better than those elsewhere in the Middle East. Human Rights Watch reported in January 2018 that although recently there have been far-reaching reforms of the laws and regulations in the country, abuses against basic rights such as freedom of expression persisted.
Human rights in Austria are generally respected by the government; however, there were problems in some areas. There were some reports of police abuse and use of unjustified force against prisoners. Antisemitic incidents, including physical attacks, name-calling, property damage, and threatening letters, telephone calls, and Internet postings occurred during the year. There was some governmental and societal discrimination against fathers, Muslims and members of unrecognized religious groups, particularly those considered "sects". There were incidents of neo-Nazi activity, rightwing extremism, and xenophobia. Trafficking in women and children for prostitution and labor also remained a problem.
Problems related to human rights in Chile include discrimination against indigenous populations; societal violence and discrimination against women, children, and lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) people; child labor; and harsh prison conditions and treatment. Additional human rights concerns in the country include use of excessive force and abuse by security forces, isolated reports of government corruption, and anti-Semitism. Authorities generally maintain effective control over the security forces. However, security forces occasionally commit human rights abuses. The government generally takes steps to prosecute officials who commit abuses. Nevertheless, many human rights organizations contend that security officials accused of committing abuses have impunity.
Human rights in Canada have come under increasing public attention and legal protection since World War II. Prior to that time, there were few legal protections for human rights. The protections which did exist focused on specific issues, rather than taking a general approach to human rights.
There are several social issues in Armenia including poverty, high unemployment rates, corruption, and inadequate public services.
The human-rights situation in Benin is considered to be generally above average for sub-Saharan Africa.
Iceland is generally considered to be one of the leading countries in the world in regard to the human rights enjoyed by its citizens. Human rights are guaranteed by Sections VI and VII of Iceland's Constitution. Since 1989, a post of Ombudsman exists. Elections are free and fair, security forces report to civilian authorities, there is no state violence, and human rights groups are allowed to operate without restriction. Religious freedom is guaranteed, and discrimination based on sexual orientation is illegal.
Eswatini, Africa's last remaining absolute monarchy, was rated by Freedom House from 1972 to 1992 as "Partly Free"; since 1993, it has been considered "Not Free". During these years the country's Freedom House rating for "Political Rights" has slipped from 4 to 7, and "Civil Liberties" from 2 to 5. Political parties have been banned in Eswatini since 1973. A 2011 Human Rights Watch report described the country as being "in the midst of a serious crisis of governance", noting that "[y]ears of extravagant expenditure by the royal family, fiscal indiscipline, and government corruption have left the country on the brink of economic disaster". In 2012, the African Commission on Human and Peoples' Rights (ACHPR) issued a sharp criticism of Eswatini's human-rights record, calling on the Swazi government to honor its commitments under international law in regards to freedom of expression, association, and assembly. HRW notes that owing to a 40% unemployment rate and low wages that oblige 80% of Swazis to live on less than US$2 a day, the government has been under "increasing pressure from civil society activists and trade unionists to implement economic reforms and open up the space for civil and political activism" and that dozens of arrests have taken place "during protests against the government's poor governance and human rights record".
The issue of human rights in Tunisia, is complex, contradictory, and, in some regards, confusing in the wake of the Tunisian revolution that began in January 2011 and overthrew the longstanding dictatorship of Zine El Abidine Ben Ali. While the immediate months after the revolution were characterized by significant improvements in the status of human rights, some of those advances have since been reversed. The situation remains in a state of flux, with different observers providing virtually irreconcilable accounts of the current status of human rights in that country.
Togo, a small, poor country in West Africa that was labeled "Not Free" by Freedom House from 1972 to 1998, and again from 2002 to 2006, and that has been categorized as "Partly Free" from 1999 to 2001 and again from 2007 to the present, has very serious and longstanding human-rights problems. According to a U.S. State Department report based on conditions in 2010, they include "security force use of excessive force, including torture, which resulted in deaths and injuries; official impunity; harsh and life-threatening prison conditions; arbitrary arrest and detention; lengthy pretrial detention; executive influence over the judiciary; infringement of citizens' privacy rights; restrictions on freedoms of press, assembly, and movement; official corruption; discrimination and violence against women; child abuse, including female genital mutilation (FGM), and sexual exploitation of children; regional and ethnic discrimination; trafficking in persons, especially women and children; societal discrimination against persons with disabilities; official and societal discrimination against homosexual persons; societal discrimination against persons with HIV; and forced labor, including by children."
The Republic of Uruguay is located in South America, between Argentina, Brazil and the South Atlantic Ocean, with a population of 3,332,972. Uruguay gained independence and sovereignty from Spain in 1828 and has full control over its internal and external affairs. From 1973-85 Uruguay was governed by a civil-military dictatorship which committed numerous human rights abuses.
Human rights in Saint Vincent and the Grenadines are protected by international conventions and domestic legal framework. The country has ratified a number of United Nations conventions regarding human rights and its constitution guarantees some basic human rights, such as the right to fair trial and freedom from torture. However, clauses guaranteeing socio-economic rights, such as the right to education, and guarding against discrimination are "almost non-existent" in the constitution. There are also no individual complaints procedures for some of the ratified conventions.
The Marshall Islands is a country in the Pacific spread over 29 coral atolls, with 1,156 islands and islets. It has an estimated population of 68,480 and is one of the sixteen member states of the Pacific Islands Forum. Since 1979, the Marshall Islands has been self-governing.
Human rights in Norway protect the fundamental rights of all persons with in the Kingdom of Norway. These rights are safeguarded by Chapter E of the Constitution of Norway or Kongeriket Norges Grunnlov, as well as the ratification of various international treaties facilitated by the United Nations. The country maintains a dedicated commitment to human rights and was the second country to ratify the European Convention on Human Rights.
Human rights in Hungary are governed by the Constitution of Hungary, laws passed by the National Assembly, and oversight of international organizations such as the Council of Europe. Human rights groups such as Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch have raised concern for the status of human rights in Hungary under the rule of Viktor Orbán and the Fidesz party since 2010.
