US embassy cable - 04BRATISLAVA1110

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Ministry of Health (MOH) revamped the outdated regulations 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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