The proposed bill forms part of a package of legislative proposals known as the “lex assassination”. It would prohibit gatherings not only in the vicinity of parliament as is currently the case, but also around buildings where heads of state, government, and courts reside or work

Ahead of today’s debate on a proposed bill that seeks to impose significant restrictions on the right to the freedom of peaceful assembly, Rado Sloboda, Director of Amnesty International Slovakia, said:

“This draconian bill is an attempt to use security and public order as pretexts to crack down on the right to peaceful assembly and strip people of their right to protest. If it passes into law, it would flagrantly violate the country’s constitution and Slovakia’s international human rights obligations. The bill must be immediately withdrawn.

This bill is an attempt to use security and public order as pretexts to crack down on the right to peaceful assembly and strip people of their right to protest

Rado Sloboda, Director of Amnesty International Slovakia

“Rather than addressing any genuine safety concerns, this bill aims to expand the power of the authorities to restrict or even ban peaceful assemblies and would create a significant chilling effect on human rights.

“Banning a protest should be a last resort and using the disruption – including of traffic – as grounds to impose ban peaceful protest makes a mockery of the requirements of legality, necessity and proportionality that should be applied.”

“It is crucial that the right to assemble near government buildings and politically symbolic locations is preserved and that this crude attempt at delegitimizing and demonizing protesters and peaceful assembly is soundly rejected.”

Background

The proposed bill forms part of a package of legislative proposals known as the “lex assassination”. It would prohibit gatherings not only in the vicinity of parliament as is currently the case, but also around buildings where heads of state, government, and courts reside or work.

The bill grants municipalities broad powers to prohibit assemblies on several grounds, including the potential for clashes between participants or groups and the inability to ensure public order through less disruptive measures.

Under the proposed legislation, if an assembly is held and it is not peaceful, is dissolved, or results in fines for “more persons,” the Ministry of the Interior can fine the municipality up to €16,500.”

The debate on the draft bill is expected to start a 12:00 GMT.

On 9 July, Amnesty International will be publishing a groundbreaking report on the rollback of the right protest across Europe examining 21 countries