ECHR Rejects Ombudsman's Request to Intervene in Chovanec Death Case

Bratislava, June 16 (TASR) - The European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) has rejected a request by Ombudsman Robert Dobrovodsky to intervene in an interstate complaint related to the death of Slovak national Jozef Chovanec at Charleroi airport in Belgium, spokesman for the ombudsman Branislav Gigac told TASR on Monday. The case concerns allegations of the arbitrary use of police force and the alleged violation of the right to life of a Slovak national. Dobrovodsky wanted to appear as a third party in the case to provide the court with his insights into the broader systemic issues surrounding the disproportionate use of police force. "As a public defender of rights representing an independent constitutional institution protecting fundamental rights and freedoms, I felt it was important to participate in these proceedings in the interests of promoting justice and drawing attention to the disproportionate use of police force and impunity," said the ombudsman. Although intervention wasn't allowed in this case, the ombudsman will continue to monitor how it develops and continue his efforts to protect the fundamental rights and freedoms of Slovak citizens. Slovak national Jozef Chovanec, 38, died after being arrested by the Belgian federal police at Charleroi airport in February 2018. In 2020, leaked video footage from the cell in which he was detained showed 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. According to an expert analysis by Belgian doctors, the cause of his death was swelling of the brain, which he suffered after repeatedly banging his head against a wall in a detention cell. A Belgian court in September 2024 ruled that no individual is criminally responsible for the death of Chovanec, stating that it was a regrettable coincidence of tragic circumstances. am/df