GIL-ROBLES ON ILLEGAL STERILIZATION: CASE CLOSED

UNCLAS BRATISLAVA 001110

SIPDIS


SENSITIVE

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PGOV PHUM LO
SUBJECT: GIL-ROBLES ON ILLEGAL STERILIZATION: CASE CLOSED

REF: A. PRAGUE 1616


B. BRATISLAVA 1178

Sensitive but Unclassified - protect accordingly


1. (U) Summary. Slovak Deputy PM Pal Csaky and the Council
of Europe (COE) Commissioner for Human Rights discussed past
investigations into alleged coerced sterilizations of Roma
women and the newly approved health care reform package. The
Commissioner stressed the need for diligence in strengthening
all relevant legislation affecting minority groups.
According to media reports, both officials said they
considered this case closed. However, demands from the
alleged victims for compensation continue, for example in a
pending court case at the European Court of Human Rights.
End summary.


2. (U) During a meeting on December 8, Deputy PM for Human
Rights Pal Csaky and COE Commissioner for Human Rights Alvaro
Gil-Robles discussed past allegations of coerced
sterilizations of Roma women. The meeting occurred nearly two
years after the publication of an NGO report describing over
two hundred interviews with sterilized Roma women about their
health care treatment. Csaky informed Gil-Robles about the
results of the criminal and government investigations
conducted and safeguards introduced into the medical system
to further protect Roma (and all) women. A COE report issued
in October 2003 included several recommendations about
strengthening existing legislation and improving the
regulations for informed consent. According to press
reports, Gil-Robles confirmed he considered the case closed,
but encouraged diligence in strengthening relevant
legislation affecting minorities.


3. (SBU) According to Jana Kviecinska, Director of the Human
Rights Section at the Government Office, Csaky promised to
meet with the COE after Parliament passed new health care
reforms (reftel B) to address specific concerns raised in the
2003 report. In late September, Parliament adopted six laws
in order to improve the quality of health care and its
administration. Within the broad package of reform, the
Ministry of Health (MOH) revamped the outdated regulations
governing sterilization and included a detailed definition of
informed consent. The Slovak Family Planning Association and
the MOH Ethics Committee cooperated in drafting portions of
the new laws and believe sterilization practices in Slovakia
will be positively impacted. The changes to laws covering
sterilization will become effective January 1, 2005.


4. (SBU) Adriana Lamackova, a Slovak lawyer representing
women claiming to have undergone coerced sterilization,
stated the meeting may have been triggered by the submission
of a new case to the European Court of Human Rights. The
Slovak NGO Poradna, which co-authored the controversial
report, recently submitted a case on the behalf of four Roma
women. The case has been accepted by the court, thus the
government is required to evaluate and provide comments on
the case's merits.


5. (SBU) Comment: While the issue may be closed in the
dialogue between the COE and Slovakia, human rights activists
continue to pursue cases in court and to open new
investigations. The Slovak government appears to be
cautiously observing the mood in the Czech Republic and the
GOCR's handling of similar allegations that recently emerged
(reftel A). The pending court cases show that the demand for
compensation of alleged victims will persist, and the GOS
will have to deal with the issue for some time to come, case
closed or not.
WEISER


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