Extremists to face stringent punishment after MPs overturn veto

PARLIAMENT on Tuesday, with 77 votes, managed to overturn the veto of President Ivan Gasparovic regarding the amendment to the Criminal Code prepared by the justice ministry. Among other things, the legal norm is to bring much more stringent punishments for extremists from September.

However, the head of state had reproached the legislation for not having a clear definition of extremism, and the president also regards the explanation of the notion of extremist material as insufficient. The approved law, the president said, also has other legislative imperfections.

"I view it as necessary to effectively fight against the serious forms of criminal activities, against the violation of basic rights and liberties," the president's reasoning said, However, concurrently he says that it's necessary for the law to be intelligible, terminologically precise, and cohesive. Gasparovic, a former law faculty teacher, also noted that the amendment would enable the criminal prosecution also of those who would use extremist materials for scientific purposes.

The introduction of more stringent punishments for extremists is, the justice ministry maintains, a reaction to recent events, where groups of spectators behaved in a rowdy fashion at sports events.

"We won't just look on while extremists misbehave. That is why we propose making the punishments more stringent, and we are introducing precise and new definitions of some of the notions. In this way we want to contribute to a more successful clearing up of crimes and to punish perpetrators who try to disturb the peaceful cohabitation of nations, nationalities and ethnic groups in Slovakia," Justice Minister Stefan Harabin said.