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Slovak lawmakers push EU to look into Belgian police custody death

by editor

The Slovak parliament wants Belgium and the EU to conduct a more thorough investigation of a case of alleged police brutality by Belgian officers involving a Slovak man, Bratislava’s foreign minister announced Wednesday.

In recent weeks, camera footage has emerged of the way Belgian police handled the arrest of Slovak national Jozef Chovanec, who died in police custody in 2018. The footage, released by his widow, showed one officer sitting on Chovanec, while others laughed and one officer appeared to give a Nazi salute. One senior Belgian police officer has already stepped down over the video.

The Slovak parliament resolution approved on Wednesday accused Belgian officers of using disproportionate force and behaving inappropriately, according to Slovak media. The parliament also urged the Slovak government to ask Belgian authorities and EU institutions to ensure a more thorough investigation is completed as soon as possible.

Slovak Foreign Minister Ivan Korčok has already called for an inquiry into the death.

According to Belgian media, the resolution specifically requests that EU Justice Commissioner Didier Reynders take over the investigation. Reynders was Belgian foreign minister at the time of the incident and was responsible for maintaining contact with Slovak authorities.

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