Covering events from January - December 2003

In May the UN Committee against Torture examined a report by the Slovenian authorities on the measures taken to give effect to the rights enshrined in the UN Convention against Torture. Before the examination of this report AI submitted a briefing to the Committee, highlighting in particular Slovenia's failure to establish an independent mechanism to address complaints of ill-treatment brought against the police.

Ill-treatment and excessive force

In its briefing to the Committee, AI documented reports of ill-treatment and excessive force by police officers.

  • AI reported the assault on a 23-year-old man in Šentjur-pri-Celju in November 2002 by a police officer who reportedly kicked him to the ground and jumped on his back with such force that he broke his collarbone. The man's 19-year-old girlfriend was also reportedly beaten and threatened at the police station.
Members of ethnic and racial minorities, often children, were targeted for ill-treatment, which usually occurred during routine police arrests and detentions. Police detainees were frequently denied their rights to call their family or a lawyer, or to receive medical assistance.

Failures of investigation

AI reported on the failure to investigate promptly and impartially all allegations of ill-treatment as required under the Convention against Torture and Slovenian domestic law. In virtually every case, this was despite formal complaints lodged with the relevant police station or local public prosecutor. Even where victims provided medical evidence of their injuries, their complaints were rejected after apparently summary investigations. The mechanism for investigating complaints of police misconduct did not meet international standards of independence and effectiveness. The authorities also failed to ensure that victims of torture and ill-treatment obtained redress and had the right to fair and adequate compensation.

  • In its briefing, AI reported the case of a 36-year-old man who died during a house search in Ljubljana in early 2000, allegedly after ill-treatment by special police officers who also refused him timely access to vital medical equipment. More than three years later, a thorough and impartial investigation had still not been initiated.
The Slovenian authorities have repeatedly failed to publish or make accessible up-to-date data on the total number of complaints of ill-treatment against the police and other law enforcement officials, the number of complaints that result in disciplinary or criminal proceedings, and the outcome of such proceedings.

UN Committee against Torture recommendations

In May the Committee against Torture examined Slovenia's second periodic report on measures taken to implement the Convention against Torture. The Committee recommended that Slovenia establish an "effective, reliable and independent complaints system to undertake prompt and impartial investigations into allegations of ill-treatment or torture by police and other public officials and to punish the offenders". It also urged Slovenia to introduce a broad definition of torture as required under the Convention against Torture, an outstanding obligation since May 2000 when the Committee examined Slovenia's initial report. Slovenia was requested to repeal the statute of limitation for torture, to increase the limitation period for other types of ill-treatment and to provide up-to-date statistics on cases of ill-treatment.

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