Slovak Constitutional Court evaluates revoked amnesties

The Constitutional Court in Slovakia has begun to evaluate the constitutional amendment approved by the parliament this week regarding revoked amnesties, the court's spokesperson Martina Ferencova announced on Friday.

Parliament revoked the amnesties issued by former prime minister Vladimir Meciar dated March 3 and July 7, 1998, as well as the pardon granted by then-president Michal Kovac to his own son on Dec. 12, 1997.

Meciar's amnesties were related to the 1995 kidnapping of Michal Kovac's son Michal Kovac Jr. and the murder in 1996 of Robert Remias, who served as a contact for a key witness of the abduction.

The text of the approved document stated that Slovak society had long been disturbed by the amnesties. Therefore, the parliament opted to override these decisions out of the conviction that "respect for basic human rights and freedoms is an inalienable part of the rule of law, while respecting the principle that amnesties cannot be bestowed on representatives of state power and individuals acting in their name and/or in collusion with them."

The amendment to the Slovak Constitution will be further evaluated within 60 days by the Constitutional Court, which will be tasked with either confirming or rejecting the parliament's decision.

If the court fails to reach a verdict within the set deadline, the parliament's decision will stand. Endit