December 22, 1996

An 18 year-old skinhead stabbed to death a Roma father and critically wounded his son in the central Slovak town of Handolva. The accused has been arrested and told police he was "proud to be a skinhead" and "regretted that one of the Gypsies survived," as reported by Novy Cas. [OMRI Daily Digest, Dec. 30, 1996]

Government spokeswoman Ludmila Bulakova says Slovakia will ensure proper conditions for prisoners, including stopping all forms of torture. According to Bulakova the government has ordered the Minister of Justice to monitor prison conditions and keep the government informed whether police are abiding by the rules. The Council of Europe yesterday issued a report critical of prisoner treatment in the country. The report says a 1995 investigation found several instances in which prisoners were tortured in police cells.