Slovak MEPs Call on von der Leyen and Reynders to Deal with Chovanec's Death

Brussels, February 2 (TASR) - A total of eleven Slovak MEPs have sent a letter to European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and European Commissioner for Justice Didier Reynders, calling on them to deal with the case of the death of Slovak national Jozef Chovanec in Belgium in 2018. The MEPs did so in response to a decision of the Belgian prosecutor's office concerned not to prosecute anyone in the case, which the group found unacceptable. "The investigation has been accompanied by controversial decisions. The latest is to prosecute no one for the death. Once again, we call on the president of the European Commission and the commissioner for justice to ensure that the European Commission deals with this case as it has promised to do. We reiterate our request that the Commission should include this case in the regular monitoring of the rule of law in Belgium," said MEP Miriam Lexmann. The Slovak MEPs pointed out that the opinion of forensic experts, according to which Chovanec died as a result of self-inflicted injuries, has been disputed by another forensic expert, as well as by Chovanec's relatives. The MEPs also pointed to questionable decisions concerning the investigation, including the failure to take into account a witness of Chovanec's detention on board an aircraft. Dozens of MEPs from various countries and political groups formally called on the European Commission to monitor the investigation into this case as early as in 2020, describing the behaviour of the police towards Chovanec as shocking and inhuman. Meanwhile, Slovak MEP Ivan Stefanec recently asked the European Parliament to devote special attention to the matter. On Wednesday, Lexmann brought the case to the attention of hundreds of other MEPs in the EP in Brussels. "How is it possible that, in the heart of the EU, where we keep a close eye on even the slightest sign of a breach of the rule of law, a decision is taken that appears to be in stark contradiction to fair treatment and the right to a fair trial?" she asked. Chovanec died in February 2018 after a scuffle with the police at Charleroi airport. According to the Belgian media, he acted belligerently on an aircraft and shoved an air stewardess because he wasn't allowed to sit in the seat he wanted. The captain refused to take off until the airport police arrived. According to an expert analysis by Belgian doctors, the cause of his death was brain swelling, which he suffered after repeatedly banging his head against a wall in a detention cell. In 2020, released video footage from the cell showed the airport police officers kneeling on Chovanec's neck for more than 15 minutes, while one of them gave a Nazi salute during the act, much to the amusement of her colleagues. zel/df