As Slovakia prepares to vote on a series of deeply troubling constitutional amendments, rights defenders across Europe are sounding the alarm over the potential rollback of fundamental human rights. The proposed changes represent a stark step backward in the fight for equality and dignity for LGBTI individuals in Europe.
Today, Béatrice Fresko-Rolfo, PACE General Rapporteur on the rights of LGBTI persons for the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe, has urged the Slovak parliament to reject these amendments and honour the country’s commitments to international human rights law.
Béatrice Fresko-Rolfo issued the following statement:
“In the coming days, the Slovak parliament will be called to vote on proposed constitutional amendments. I am deeply concerned about the content of some of these amendments with regard to the protection of the rights of LGBTI persons,” said Béatrice Fresko-Rolfo (Monaco, ALDE), General Rapporteur on the rights of LGBTI persons for the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE).
“I call on the Slovak parliament to reject the proposed constitutional amendments, which are aimed at banning adoption by same-sex couples, restricting children’s access to inclusive sexual education, making legal recognition of gender impossible, and asserting the sovereignty of the Slovak constitution over European law and international treaties. By rejecting these amendments, the parliament can express its commitment to respecting the human rights of all individuals and its obligations under international law,” she continued.
“Slovakia is bound, by its international commitments, to respect the decisions of the European Court of Human Rights and the EU Court of Justice. I count on the Slovak parliament to mobilise against the proposed amendments aimed at weakening the protection of rights of LGBTI persons,” she concluded.
