Amnesty International Slovakia: Incident in Kosice Shows Abuse of Police Power

Bratislava, November 13 (TASR) - Amnesty International (AI) Slovakia is outraged and saddened about the action by a police officer in Kosice that resulted in the death of a detainee. AI views this death as tragic evidence of the dangerous abuse of police power that must lead to a systemic reform in the police. At the same time, AI pointed to the fact that international standards concerning police behaviour and the use of force clearly say that the police must adhere to the principles of lawfulness, necessity and adequacy. The police should therefore always prefer de-escalation and non-violent means, stated AI. "This tragedy must be the tipping point that will spur systemic changes in the police that will make end to police brutality once forever. A police authority that ignores human rights and disrespects security can help nobody," said AI Slovakia director Rado Sloboda. An investigator of the Interior Ministry's Inspectorate (UIS) on Tuesday (November 12) pressed charges of manslaughter against the Kosice police officer. According to the Inspectorate, the officer in question, while on duty in early November, inflicted multiple injuries to the head and body of an individual detained while perpetrating a crime, with the detainee succumbing to the injuries in hospital the following day. If found guilty, the officer might be sentenced to 12-15 years in prison. The interior minister expressed regret over the incident that took place in Kosice. He said that a police officer must face the same consequences for his or her actions as any other person if he or she violates the law. In this context, the minister announced an increase in the intensity of preventive training of police officers as well as the preparation of a project of body cameras during raids. ko/mcs